Taking Pride! La MaMa's Squirts Festival

Congratulations to Dan Fishback (Director of Helix Queer Performance Network) for another evening of exceeding already high expectations with his annual La MaMa's Squirts festival of queer performance. Fishback, a valiant writer and performer, says the standard Pride Month hooplah--magnified this year with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion--makes him a bit queasy. But he found his happy place at La MaMa in these gatherings of some of our community's most scintillating talents.

"This," he declares now, "is the queer world I always wanted to live in."

Convened by a sharp team of invited curators, Squirts performers span performance genres, generations, races and cultures; this year, it is, says Fishback, "100% curated by transwomen!" Also new this year: 100% free admission. And, honey, you get a lot for that nice price.

Last evening's weekend opener was curated and hosted with unmatched charm by storyteller, actress and health activist Cecilia Gentili. Her sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous entr'acte patter both introduced us to her personal story--living under dictatorship in her native Argentina; embracing the freedom in New York she had envied from afar; learning hard lessons about the dangers transwomen face in the U.S.--while smoothly ushering in one after another of her performers. Most compelling on the bill were Linda LaBeija, delivering spoken word, and Afro-Latin rapper Auset Bennu, each representing Bronx aesthetics in their own commanding, sharp-edged way.

Squirts curators mean business. (I know. I was one last year.) So, I suggest you find out what's up this evening (curated by Charlene Incarnate) and Sunday evening (curated by Mizz June).

One note of caution: The weather outside might be warmish this weekend, but take a sweater and maybe even a cap. La MaMa, for reasons I could not fathom, A/C'ed its theater like a meat locker. Chilled to the bone, I finally, reluctantly and most regretfully fled before the show ended. Still recovering from a wicked cold that had knocked me out since the previous (holiday!) weekend, I was in no shape to withstand La MaMa's deep freeze.

La MaMa's Squirts continues tonight and tomorrow with performances at 7pm. Click here for information and tickets.

La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 East 4th Street (between Bowery and Second Avenue), Manhattan

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DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

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June 8-10: La MaMa’s Squirts: Generations of Queer Performance

Madison Krekel, left, with musician Isaiah Singer (photo: Nina Fleck)
and (below) Bessie-winner Jasmine Hearn (photo: Scott Shaw)
will appear in this year's La MaMa's Squirts festival, June 8-10

I'm thrilled to announce that I've curated one of this year's La MaMa's Squirts shows, and I want you to come out, represent and support!

The annual festival of queer performance, created by Dan Fishback's Helix Queer Performance Network, will feature three evenings curated by Linda LaBeija, Shannon Matesky and myself, performed at La MaMa's The Downstairs theater, Friday-Sunday, June 8-10, all at 7pm.

I'm showing up for all three shows, because they're going to rock, and I hope to see you there!

Here are your details:

Friday, June 8, 7pm: Q(here)magiQUE

curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Q(here)magiQue is an evening of improvisation, manifesting multidimensional queer space for queer spirituality, casting spells through dance and the word.

Featuring:

Antonio Ramos
iele paloumpis
Jasmine Hearn
Madison Krekel (with Isaiah Singer)


Saturday, June 9, 7pm: The LaBeija Showcase

curated by Linda LaBeija

You can glimpse the House of LaBeija in great films like The Queen and Paris Is Burning but, in The LaBeija Showcase, peek into the life and history of the House and where it is today, with an evening of collaborative, devised theater. Through vogue and modern movement, original music, and lip sync performances, bear witness to the performative talents and fashions of this iconic collective. Learn who they are and learn what they stand for. Learn it and learn it well!

Commentator/Co-Director: Leggoh LaBeija
Choreographer and Dancer: Monster LaBeija
Sound Director: Skyshaker

Featuring:

Rozay LaBeija
NYC Father Legendary Freddie LaBeija
Krystal LaBeija
Egyptt LaBeija
and more!

Sunday, June 10, 7pm: Four Questions

curated by Shannon Matesky

Shannon Matesky, creator and curator of Queer Abstract, curates an evening of theatrical performances highlighting queer artists as they grapple with four pivotal questions in honor of Nina Simone's “Four Women."

Featuring:

Regie Cabico
Gary Champi
Aviva Jaye
Ni'Ja Whitson
Shannon Matesky

For information and tickets--including your 3-performance 50% discount pass!--click here.

La MaMa (The Downstairs)
66 East 4th Street (between 2nd Avenue and Bowery), Manhattan

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NEEDING IT, free workshops with Dan Fishback, is back!

Dan Fishback (Photo: Allison Michael Orenstein)

NEEDING IT: 

Solo Performance in Queer Community

with Dan Fishback

at BAX / Brooklyn Arts Exchange

March 9 - April 27

Mondays, 7-10pm

Application due: January 27

Admission is FREE

Students will develop solo performances based on their personal obsessions and political impulses, all the while exploring the recent history of queer performance in New York City, and meeting some of the great artists of our time.  Performance artist and instructor Dan Fishback will work closely with students to move beyond conventional notions of “self-expression” and “autobiography” to something more primal and satisfying. 

For application instructions, click here.

This workshop is made possible, in part, by the Stonewall Community Foundation.

BAX / Brooklyn Arts Exchange
421 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn
(map/directions)

BAX offers free Artist Services Day, February 9

Park Slope's BAX (Brooklyn Arts Exchange) announces its first Artist Services Day, a lineup of talks and workshops for working dance, theater and performance artists and their supporters. Free (by pre-registration) and open to the public, these sessions are designed to benefit teaching artists, artists who are parents to children and teens, queer-identified artists and more. In addition, one session will present information on application for BAX's 2014-15 residencies.

Sunday, February 9 (1pm-7pm)

BAX

421 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn

(map/directions)

For complete information on BAX's Artist Services Day and to pre-register, click here.

NYC organizations launch Helix Queer Performance Network

The Helix Queer Performance Network is a collaboration between La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange and the Hemispheric Institute of Performance & Politics, seeking to nurture emerging queer performers, unite diverse queer communities, and celebrate the legacy and lineage of queer performance in New York City.

Through educational initiatives, innovative stage productions and challenging public conversations that prioritize diversity across age, race, class and gender, Helix aims to foster an inter-generational, multi-racial, multi-gender performance community where artists can document a broad spectrum of queer experience in the context of a rich artistic history.

Each of Helix's three partner institutions hosts an HQPN flagship program, directed by performance artist Dan Fishback. With La MaMa, we present La MaMa's SQUIRTS, a series that showcases emerging performers, with guest appearances by legends of the queer performance world. With BAX, we run NEEDING IT: Performance & Queer Community, an eight-week workshop, in which students create their own original pieces while studying the history of queer performance in NYC. And with the Hemispheric Institute, we curate an ongoing series of Long Table discussions using Lois Weaver's template of informal conversation to generate dynamic new ideas to improve our communities, and to answer the perennial question, "What does queer performance want?"

For more information, visit helixqpn.tumblr.com.

Performing queer: Dan Fishback offers workshops at BAX

Dan Fishback

NEEDING IT
Solo Performance & Queer Community

a workshop series with Dan Fishback

October 1 to November 19, Tuesdays, 7pm-9pm

Students will develop solo performances based on their personal obsessions and political impulses, all the while exploring the recent history of queer performance in New York City.  Performance artist and instructor Dan Fishback will work closely with students to move beyond conventional notions of “self-expression” and “autobiography” to something more primal and satisfying.  Using traditional queer performance as a reference point, students will be encouraged to find new artistic language to stage their most vital urges.  The final session of this eight-week class will be a semi-public live performance where each student will present finished work for invited guests and for each other.

Eligibility

Students of ALL races, genders, ages and sizes are encouraged to apply. Students must be prepared to work on assignments outside of class.  All students MUST attend every session.  Students do not have to identify as queer, as long as they identify as being part of a queer community.

Application deadline: September 1

For complete information, including application instructions, click here.

Dan Fishback's got what you need

BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange

presents

Needing It: Performance in the Queer Community Tradition

a workshop with Dan Fishback

Tuesdays, February 28-April 10 (7pm-9pm)
FREE - participants must apply by January 3
Note: no class on March 20, additional class on Wednesday March 14 

Students will develop solo performances based on their personal obsessions and political impulses, all the while exploring the recent history of queer performance in New York City. Performance artist and instructor Dan Fishback will work closely with students to move beyond conventional notions of "self-expression" and "autobiography" to something more primal and satisfying.

Using traditional queer performance as a reference point, students will be encouraged to find new artistic language to stage their most vital urges. This seven-session class will be followed by a public live performance at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange on Saturday, April 14, where each student will present finished work.

Learn more here.

Eligibility:

Students of all ages, races, genders and sizes are encouraged to apply. Unfortunately, BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, which is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of its building, lacks an elevator and cannot accommodate students with mobility issues. Students must be prepared to work on assignments outside of class. All students MUST attend every session AND the public performance on April 14. Students do not have to identify as queer, as long as they identify as being part of a queer community.

Application Instructions:

Please write a letter to the instructor, Dan Fishback. Explain why you want to take this class, and give a brief history of your artistic pursuits. (You will not be judged by the quantity or stature of your achievements.) If you do not identify as queer, please explain how you relate to queer community or queer performance tradition. Include your name, email address and phone number.

Please write or paste your letter into the body of an email, and send that email baxfishbackclass@gmail.com with the subject heading "APPLICATION FOR DAN FISHBACK CLASS."

BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange
421 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn
(map/directions)

Housing Works and...whatever!

The "And the Heart Says Whatever" Talent Show and Variety Hour

Wednesday, May 12, 7pm

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

126 Crosby Street, Manhattan

212-334-3324

Comedian/author Julie Klausner (I Don’t Care About Your Band), performance artist/author Mike Albo (The Underminer) and musician/playwright Dan Fishback (just back from Yaddo)—and other secret special guests!—will salute musicians like Stevie Nicks and Liz Phair in song, to celebrate the publication of Emily Gould’s heavily Nicks-inspired essay collection, And the Heart Says Whatever. Rest assured that the feeling will remain even after the glitter fades!

Since opening its doors in 1998, Housing Works’ Bookstore Café has been an unparalleled hotspot for New York’s literary community, hosting countless readings, panels, and parties for every major publisher, as well as magazines from Lucky to The New Yorker. Every dollar from every customer goes to support Housing Works’ mission to end homelessness and AIDS.