Join The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at CUNY for an evening investigating the performing arts and the geography of New York City. The evening will feature the work of three artists whose site specific work utilizes cityspace in surprisingly new and challenging ways. Panel discussion with Aviva Davidson, Melanie Joseph, Noémie Lafrance, Aaron Landsman and Neil Smith, URBAN GEOGRAPHER. In collaboration with The Center for Place, Politics, and Culture, Neil Smith.

Initiated by The Center for Research in Theatre and Urbanism founded by Bertie Ferdman. The focus of the Center is to open an interdisciplinary dialogue between theatre artists using the city (or alternative venues) and social thinkers, urban planners, and real estate developers to develop new urban strategies for the future. The Center is inspired by the work of French site-specific artist Maud Le Floc’h and her publication Mission Répérages: un élu, un artiste.

6:30 p.m., Thursday, December 13, 2007, Martin E. Segal Theatre. Free!

Aviva Davidson is the artistic Director of Dancing in the Streets, an organization that strives to illuminate the urban experience with groundbreaking public performances and site-specific installations that explore the kinetic life and history of natural and architectural public spaces.

Melanie Joseph is the producing artistic director of The Foundry Theatre, a company she founded in 1994 with board member Cornel West. Joseph has conceived, dramaturged and/or directed 12 shows for the Foundry which have been awarded eight Obies and three Drama Desk nominations for Unique Theatrical Experience.

Noémie Lafrance is a site-specific choreographer and founder of Sens Production. Since 2000, working as Sens Production’s Artistic Director, Noémie Lafrance has collaborated with numerous arts presenters and artists, including dancers, designers and musicians to create and produce performances for a variety of audiences in New York City.

Aaron Landsman is a Brooklyn-based writer and performer. His solo and collaborative works have been presented in New York, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia. Since 2001, Aaron has created three site-specific productions.

Neil Smith is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography and the Director, Center for Place, Culture and Politics at the Graduate Center, City University of New York.