Prelude Festival Announces 2020 Artists

The 2020 Prelude Festival, titled a??Sites of Revolutiona??, will bring together artists, critics, activists, and producers from New York City and beyond to explore the many ways in which revolutions are taking place today.a?? The COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of life. At the same time, widespread protests-spearheaded by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-are challenging centuries-old white supremacy, white fragility and settler colonialism. Against the backdrop of this collision between rapid change and obdurate inequity, the repertoire of revolution plays out daily in the streets, on screens, inside classrooms, between loved ones, and in our minds and processes. In tandem, artists have adapted their work in innovative ways, redrawing the boundaries of their art forms and rethinking previously fundamental concepts such as "theatre," "performance," "live," and "time-based."

In concert with this season of upheavals, a??Sites of Revolutiona?? will offer audiences a free online platform to experience genre-bending productions inspired by this moment of revolution and reckoning. The festival will feature a wide array of new multimedia work created by artists at the

forefront of contemporary theatre and performance, as well as a series of panels and other events that put artistic practice in conversation with critical discourse.

This year's Prelude Festival will take place between October 20 and October 30, 2020 and will feature a line-up of artists including a??Garrett Allena?? (a??An Incomplete List...a?? at Ars Nova's ANT Fest) a??and Nazareth Hassan a??(Bushwick Starr, Royal Court Theatre); a??Stefania Bulbarella (a??Closure with The Movement Theatre Company);a?? Jeesun Choi a??(a??The Seekersa?? at Bay Area Playwrights Festival)a?? and Bryn Herdricha?? (a??My Life Has Been Extraordinarya?? at Joe's Pub); Shayok Misha Chowdhurya?? (a??MukhAgnia?? at Under the Radar, a??How The White Girl Got Her Spots and Other 90s Triviaa?? at Joe's Pub), a??Kameron Neala?? (a??The Other Othera?? at Ars Nova, Billy Porter's "For What It's Worth" video), a??anda?? a??Jeremy S. Blooma?? (RadioLab, Emmy nominee for "FYRE" on Netflix)a??; a??Elevator Repair Servicea?? (a??Gatz, The Select, The Sound and the Fury)a?? a??; a??Zachariah Ezer (a??Michener Fellow & MFA Candidate at The University of Texas) a??and Dominique Rider (Resident Director at National Black Theatre); a??Nile Harris a??(a??The Rise and Fall of the Huxtable Familya?? at Otion Front Studio)a?? and Trevor Bazile a??(a??Mingus's The Clowna?? at Borscht Film Festival); Miranda Haymon a??(a??In the Penal Colony a??at Next Door @ NYTW); a??Gyun Hura?? (a??Death Becomes Hera?? at the BRIC & a??To hold gentlya?? at Green-Wood)a??; a??Dena Igustia?? (Author of a??CUT WOMAN a??with Game Over Books, a??SHARUM with The Players Theatre) a??and Ray Jordan Achana?? (Artistic Director of Exiled Tongues); a??Le'Andra LeSeur a??(a??Ma??aybe rainbows do exist at nighta?? at Microscope Gallery, Brooklyn)a??;a?? a??Yeujia Low a??(Fa??or George, a Musical Cabareta??) a??and Justin Halle a??(a??Delaware, Come Homea?? in a??Best of Red Bull's Short New Play Festivala?? collection)a??; a??Kareem M. Lucas a??(a??Black History Museum...According to the United States of America,a?? a??RATED BLACK: An American Requiem)a?? ; a??Kelsey Pyro and Kino Galbraith a??(a??MAKADEWIIYAASIKWEa?? a??at The Shed)a??; a??Mei Ann Teoa?? (director of a??SKiNFoLKa?? at The Bushwick Starr, Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory); and a??Dustin Willsa?? (a??A Boy's Company Presents: Tell Me If I'm Hurting You a??at Playwrights Horizons),a?? Kate Tarkera?? (a??THUNDERBODIES aa??t Soho Rep),a?? and Daniel Schlosberg a??(Co-Music Director of Heartbeat Opera)a??.

A full festival schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Visit a??www.preludenyc2020.com for more information.

The 2020 Prelude Festival is produced by Samuel Morreale, Lucy Powis, and Sami Pyne. Digital stage management provided by Harry Corthell; Festival web development provided by Lorena Ramirez-Lopez; Festival graphic design provided by Lena G. Mitchell; and additional Festival coordination support provided by Andie Lerner.