Elements of Oz at NYU Skirball

NYU Skirball will present Elements of Oz, a live performance/augmented reality mash-up of theater, technology and pop culture that celebrates and deconstructs The Wizard of Oz, from the New York-based performance company, The Builders Association, on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8, 2019 at NYU Skirball. The MGM film is celebrating its 80th Anniversary as one of Americas most beloved films (it opened on August 25, 1939).A narrator recounts juicy background details about the making of the film as three powerful performers recreate famous moments live on stage. Interspersed with excerpts of the original novel, YouTube tributes, fan theories and critical interpretations from the likes of Salman Rushdie, Elements of Oz revels in the ways tens of thousands of people around the globe have made Oz their own.In much the same way the classic MGM movie transported us from the stark black and white of Kansas to a vibrant Technicolor Oz, Elements of Oz uses AR (Augmented Reality) to enliven and deepen the viewers experience. Audience cell phones remain on and the stage action interacts with personal smart phones through a unique app that delivers the Technicolor Land of Oz of our imaginations. The Elements of Oz cast features Moe Angelos, Sean Donovan and Hannah Heller. It is directed by Marianne Weems, and written by James Gibbs, with costumes by Andreea Mincic, lighting design by Jennifer Tipton, scenic design by Neal Wilkinson and video design by Austin Switser. The production closes out NYUs year-long Stonewall 50 celebration with this tribute to Oz and all the many friends of Dorothy.The ArtistsMoe Angelos (actor) is a theatre artist and writer. She is one of The Five Lesbian Brothers and has been a member of the Wow Cafe Theater since 1981. She has collaborated with many downtown NYC performance luminaries and is a mentor in Queer/Art/Mentorship.Sean Donovan (actor) is an actor, dancer, writer, choreographer and director, and has been nominated twice for BESSIE awards for Outstanding Performer for his body of work. Recent credits include Cabin at Bushwick Starr; Thank You for Coming: Attendance; Play; Age & Beauty Part 2. Hannah Heller (actor) is a New York based performer and writer. Select New York theater credits include Emily Climbs, Evelyn, Actress Fury and All Long True American Stories. She is the director and co-creator of the web series Morning Chardonnay. As a dancer, Hannah has worked with Dorrance Dance and Savion Glover. Marianne Weems (director) is artistic director and co-founder of The Builders Association and has directed all of their productions. She has also worked in various creative roles with Susan Sontag, Taryn Simon, The V-Girls, the Wooster Group, David Byrne, and many other artists. She has served on the board of the small but fierce foundation Art Matters since the early 90's and participated in the formation of Visual AIDS, and the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression. She is the co-editor of Art Matters: How the Culture Wars Changed America and co-author with Shannon Jackson of The Builders Association: Performance and Media in Contemporary Theater.About The Builders AssociationThe Builders Association, founded in 1994 by artistic director Marianne Weems, is a New York City-based, OBIE-winning performance and media company that uses the richness of new and old tools to extend the boundaries of theater. The companys pioneering and innovative process creates original, impactful stories about the human experience in the 21st century. Its productions provide a cultural context in which to explore what it means to live with contemporary technologies and have addressed such issues as outsourcing and corporate colonialism in Alladeen (2003), dataveillance in Super Vision (2005), and the global financial crisis in House/Divided (2010). The companys work has appeared at over 80 venues across the globe including the Barbican Theater in London, Melbourne Festival, Seoul International Theater Festival, RomaEuropa, and Festival Iberoamericano de Bogot, to name a few. In New York City, it has been presented at Lincoln Center, St. Ann's Warehouse, The Kitchen, New York Theater Workshop, the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, 3LD Art & Technology Center, and BAM (its last five productions). buildersassociation.orgAbout NYU SkirballNYU Skirball, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is one of New York Citys major presenters of international work, and has been the premier venue for cultural and performing arts events in lower Manhattan since 2003. The 800-seat theater, led by Director Jay Wegman, provides a home for internationally renowned artists, innovators and thinkers. NYU Skirball hosts over 300 events annually, from re-inventions of the classics to cutting-edge premieres, in genres ranging from dance, theater and performance arts to comedy, music and film.NYU Skirballs unique partnership with New York University enables it to draw on the Universitys intellectual riches and resources to enhance its programming with dialogues, public forums and conversations with artists, philosophers, scientists, Nobel Laureates and journalists.Tickets and ScheduleElements of Oz will play Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 7:30 pm. Tickets begin at $20 and can be purchased online at www.nyuskirball.org, by phone at 212.998.4941, or in person at the Box Office, 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square: Tuesday-Saturday, 12:006:00 P.M. NYU Skirball is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, New York, New York 10012. www.nyuskirball.org