Great Stuff at P.S.122 this week! Check it out!

Already praise has been piling up on the West Coast for Heather Woodbury and her two-part epic Tale of 2Cities: An American Joyride on Multiple Tracks.

“Breathtakingly enthralling… bears comparison to the titanic undertakings of Anna Deavere Smith and Tony Kushner.” – Charles McNulty, The Los Angeles Times

“A triumph of unfettered creativity” – Variety

And follow Jason Zinoman’s advice regarding Peter S. Petralia and Proto-type:

“Director Peter S. Petralia is a master at creating atmosphere . . . Keep an eye out for this adventurous group. . .” – Time Out New York

There will be an opening night reception for both shows on Thursday, October 12 – so come and toast these two magnificent premieres!

more info on these shows after the jump…

Heather Woodbury Tale of 2Cities

Bi-Coastal World Premiere, Presented in association with UCLA Live and Fomenting ARTS Unlimited, Inc.

“With her keen observations, she works as a sort of social historian molding gut-wrenching truths and hilarious caricatures into a portrait of the family of man- past and present.” -Chicago Sun Times

Heather Woodbury, winner of the inaugural Spalding Gray Award, crafts an ambitious and touching journey in her first ensemble play, Tale of 2Cities, which won the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award while in development. Inspired by the Brooklyn Dodgers’ move to L.A. in 1957, this two-part epic delves into the lasting effects of that upheaval – and subsequent acts of urban erasure – on three generations of characters from both coasts. A modern-day Latino DJ spins together this collision of life stories, spanning decades and neighborhoods, connecting a multitude of American lives to our own.

Featuring Winsome Brown, Michael Ray Escamilla, Tracey A. Leigh, Leo Marks, Diane Rodriguez, Ed Vassallo and Heather Woodbury. Directed by Dudley Saunders. Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library.

Running time for each part is 140 minutes plus intermission.
Parts I and II may be purchased as a package (highly recommended), or may be purchased separately. Flexible Play Package (Parts I and II, pick your own combination of dates): $30, $15 (P.S. 122 Members). On weekends, Parts I and II are separated by an extended dinner break.
Tune into select readings and exclusive preview images from Tale of 2Cities now at heatherwoodbury.com.

Tale of 2Cities is also a featured presentation in the Impact Festival.

October 12 – 29
Opens Thursday, October 12
Tale of 2Cities is one play presented in two parts:
Part I “Grifters, Drifters and Dodgers”
Part II “Mega Mixicana Waltz”
Tuesdays and Thursdays: Part 1 at 8 p.m.
Wednesdays and Fridays: Part 2 at 8 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays: Part 1 at 2 p.m., Part 2 at 7 p.m.>
$20, $15 (students/seniors)
$10 (members)

Or save with the Flexible Play Package
(Parts I and II, pick your own combination of dates).

Proto-Type / Peter Petralia Invisible Messages

“Director Peter S. Petralia is a master at creating atmosphere . . . Keep an eye out for this adventurous group. . .” – Jason Zinoman, Time Out New York

In September of 2005, Peter S. Petralia conducted an adventurous journey-cum-experiment in which he set out on the Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting with artists from around the world for as long as the train was in the station. He collected a constellation of collaborative art objects, experiences and stories which culminate in this unique performance.

The ephemeral nature of perception, mobility and fame are teased out by three people who are in the process of disappearing. Invisible Messages travels from the depths of the brain to the most remote corner of the Gobi desert in search of an understanding of what it means to be truly present in the modern world.

Performers: Mandy Caughey, Alessandro Magania, Meredith Smart
Music: Max Giteck Duykers
Lighting: Rebecca M. K. Makus
Stage Management: Ashley Kosier
Dramaturgy: Glenn Kessler
Photo: Alison Grippo

Learn more about Proto-Type at proto-type.org.
See photos from Peter’s trip.

World Premiere
October 12-29
Opens Thursday, October 12
Wednesday-Saturday 8:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 4:30 p.m.
Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes
$20, $15 (students/seniors)
$10 (members)

Post-performance Special Event
Sunday, October 22:
Collaborative Art and Globalization: Retrace Peter’s footsteps along the amazing trip that led to Invisible Messages and get the inside scoop on the events and encounters that shaped it along the way. Join Peter and special guests including Imre Szeman, Director of the Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, McMaster University, for a conversation exploring the making of international collaborative art vis-à-vis globalization. This special event is featured as part of the Discovery Series, P.S. 122’s take-back of the talk-backs.