PRELUDE FESTIVAL 2019 & 2020
The annual PRELUDE festival is dedicated to artists at the forefront of contemporary New York City theatre, dance, interdisciplinary and mediatized performance. PRELUDE offers an array of short performances, readings, and screenings — a completely free survey of the current New York moment and the work being prepared for the next season and beyond—as well as new commissions and panel discussions with artists, scholars, and performers. PRELUDE is a place to discover what voices are shaping the future of theatre and performance in NYC, to observe, engage, commune, and critique.
The 2019 PRELUDE festival, titled Riotous Excursions, asks what it means to break the rules when the rule of law is under threat? What role can the iconoclast play in a society where members of Congress regularly attack vital cultural and civic institutions?
Curated by David Bruin and Sanaz Ghajar, produced by Sami Pyne.
The FRANKY award was presented to Becca Blackwell at the closing night celebration of the festival, hosted by the hit podcast Girls on Porn.
Studio Visit artists included M. Lamar with critical response by Hershini Bhana Young, The Foundry Theatre with critical response by Bertie Ferdman, Theater Mitu with critical response by Kevin Riordan, and Whitney White with critical response by Tobi Haslett.
PRELUDE’s Work-in-Process series showcased samples of new work by Melis Aker, Sophie Amieva, Kate Benson and Jessica Almasy, nicHi douglas, Davalois Fearon, Sanaz Ghajar, Deepali Gupta, Michael + Patrick, Cristina Pitter & Serena Miler, Target Margin Theater / Moe Yousuf, Ashley Tata, Elinor T. & Drew Vanderburg, and Bailey Williams + Derek Smith + Alex Rodabaugh.
Additional programming and presentations featured Jaclyn Backhaus, Jabari Brisport, William Burke, Isaac Butler, Savitri D, Phillip Howze, David Levine & Shonni Enelow, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Tavia Nyong’o, Isaac Oliver, Alexander Paris, Chad Raines, Catherine María Rodríguez, Kate Tarker, and Mei Ann Teo.
2020: SITES OF REVOLUTION
2019: RIOTUS EXCURSIONS
Prelude 2020: Sites of Revolution transformed The Martin E. Segal Center’s annual festival into an online format, bringing together artists of varying performing backgrounds, special events, and panelists from all over the globe. 66 different events — comprised of live videos, prerecorded segments, and a mixture of the two — were streamed over the span of two weeks.
Curated by David Bruin and Miranda Haymon
Produced by Lucy Powis, Sam Morreale, and Sami Pyne
Featuring: Zachariah Ezer, Dominique Rider, Yeujia Low, Justin Halle, Kelsey Pyro, Kino Galbraith, Stefania Bulbarella, Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Kameron Neal, Jeremy S. Bloom, John Collins & Elevator Repair Service, Jeesun Choi, Bryn Herdrich, Garrett Allen, Nazareth Hassan, Le’Andra LeSeur, Kareem Lucas, Nile Harris, Trevor Bazile, Mei Ann Teo, Dena Igusti, Ray Jordan Achan, and Dustin Wills.
Photo credit: Marcus Middleton
