Late Nights on Air
Work created in 2018 for the 15th Anniversary of Jonah Bokaer Choreography
Joyce Theater, New York City
The piece featured choreography by Jonah Bokaer, set to an original score by Nico Muhly performed live on stage in a special collaboration with renowned violinists Angela & Jennifer Chun. Diller Scofidio + Renfro and 3-Legged Dog collaborated on the performance’s immersive environment which integrates space, light and sound. A thin armature cantilevered from a ‘collaborative’ robot that transforms in stages: from benign intruder to amusing playmate, useful collaborator, infuriating obstacle, and divider until its final stage as a menacing weapon. DS+R Partner Charles Renfro commented, "From protagonist to antagonist, the robot plays a central role that demands attention and reaction from both dancers and musicians. It produces a solid, palpable line of light that divides stage, performers and then audience, unwittingly pitting each side against the other." Two scrims separate the visibility of dancers between upstage and downstage while also providing a projection surface for images of division ranging from suburban fences to geopolitical divides. This exploration of the stage implicates the theater as a force in navigating the binaries of our time.
Choreography by: Jonah Bokaer
Special Performance by: Angela & Jennifer Chun / Violins
Dressed by: Narciso Rodriguez
Total environment designed by: Charles Renfro, DS+R
Performance by: Laura Gutierrez, James Koroni, Wendell Gray II, James McGinn, Zoltán Grecsó, Sara Procopio, Szabi Pataki
Musical Score by: Nico Muhly; Four Studies; Published by G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o St. Rose Music Publishing Co. and Chester Music Ltd. Honest Music; Published by G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o St. Rose Music Publishing Co. and Chester Music Ltd.
Lighting design by: John Torres & Solomon Weisbard
Costumes by: Mardana
Developed at: 3LD Art & Technology Center
Photos: Timothy Schenk
