THREE SISTERS COME AND GO Comes To Theaterlab, Previews 5/12

Theaterlab, the experimental company founded by Carlo Altomare and Orietta Crispino, kicks off its 2010 season with the world premiere of THREE SISTERS COME AND GO, a piece based on the texts of Anton Chekhov, Samuel Beckett and French philosopher Julia Kristeva and directed by Crispino. Previews begin May 12, 2010 before an official opening May 14th at Theaterlab (137 West 14th Street).

THREE SISTERS COME AND GO is inspired by French philosopher Julia Kristeva, who argues that we live under a crisis of disappearance and representation which compels us toward silence, paralysis, and ultimately a melancholia of longing. She speaks in favor of "jouissance" (joy) to be discovered through a new vision of being - perhaps through the paradox of the actor's art.

Set between the apparently opposite poles of Chekhov and Beckett, the piece follows the lives of the three archetypical Chekhovian women and their desire to reconstitute their lives beyond their sense of profound loss. They inhabit a space in which "character" is the very thing that they cannot escape. Yet, in the still geometry of Beckett's Come and Go the narrative escapes the stage, opening a door to ambiguity, inviting both actor and audience to examine a trajectory of refreshed desire.

The piece was devised through a collective process among director Orietta Crispino (who conceived the piece), Italian dramaturg Marco Casazza, and the three actresses: Liza Cassidy (Patricia Wilson's Zia Dance Company), Claire Helene, and Jackie Lowe (Broadway: THE TAP DANCE KID, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, EUBIE, THE FIRST, and WIND IN THE WILLOWS). All of the text is drawn from Beckett's Come and Go, and the voices of the women from Chekhov's major plays.

Orietta Crispino (Director), born in Italy, is a graduate of the prestigious Piccolo Teatro School in Milan, where she worked with the major Italian directors Giorgio Strehler and Massimo Castri. She later taught acting and directing there. Crispino is also a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Among her many Theatre Projects are: PASSPORT NO. 23.922, a piece she wrote and directed on the life of Tina Modotti; and a three-year project in Trieste directing the plays of Pirandello's Italian contemporaries. Her recent New York directing credits include APPEARANCE - SUSPENSE IN BEING and LA FRICCHETTONA, three monologues by Dario Fo and Franca Rame performed in English and Italian. In addition to her theatre work, Ms. Crispino has done art projects on the body in its performative aspect. This work led her to contributing to a cycle of seminars called Acting Out: The Art of Living held in Milan with the participation of doctors, artists and patients. Her body research culminated in a performance piece with the photographer Vibeke Jensen, CAMERA OBSCURA, shown at PS1 in New York, Bogota and Trieste.

Theaterlab, founded in 2006 by Carlo Altomare and Orietta Crispino, is dedicated to research into the nature of live performance. Altomare and Crispino have created experimental theatrical pieces, including APPEARANCE - A SUSPENSE IN BEING and SOLO PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP. Crispino also directed LA FRICCHETTONA, three monologues by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, while Altomare teamed with visual artist Naoki Iwakawa for a 13-part action painting cycle, EXCAVATION, which was presented at Theaterlab over two years (2008 - 2010). The company's artist residency program has hosted Jef Johnson, renowned principal clown of SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW, Dutch theatre artist Linda Olthof, and comedian Reno. In April 2009, Theaterlab hosted Brazilian theater legend Ze Celso in his first New York appearance and screened the lyrical film As Bacantes 2009, which documented Celso's recreation of THE BACCHAE. Theaterlab produced the first MMiX Festival of Interactive Technology, which featured performances by Todd Reynolds, Luke DuBois, Elliott Sharp/Janene Higgins, Dan Trueman and his Mini Laptop Orchestra, Bora Yoon and more, in October 2009.

THREE SISTERS COME AND GO is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Come and Go is presented through special arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc. on behalf of the Estate of Samuel Beckett.

Scheduled May 12th through 27th, performances of THREE SISTERS COME AND GO run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm at Theaterlab (137 West 14th St., between 6th and 7th Ave; Subway: 1/2/3 or F/V to 6th 14th Ave. or L to 6th Ave.) Additional performances are Monday, May 17; Monday, May 24; and Tuesday, May 25 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for all Monday performances, $20 for general admission and can be reserved by calling 212-352-3101 or by visiting www.theaterlabnyc.com.

For additional information about THREE SISTERS COME AND GO, visit www.theaterlabnyc.com or call (212) 929-2545.

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