Helen Shaw has organized a day-long event celebrating the legacy of Reza Abdoh. Looks to be like a great day with amazing participants and a lot of good discussions, viewings, etc. I never got to see any of Abdoh’s work or his company Dar a Luz live, but I know a lot of people who did, and he is pretty legendary. His influence looms large over the work we see in theater today. This is an important opportunity for younger artists to be exposed to his work, ideas and colleagues. Full info below.

THE LEGACY OF REZA ABDOH

Martin E. Segal Theatre Center
December 19, 2011

Part I

10-4pm ALL-DAY SCREENINGS
Curated by Adam Soch Williams, videographer and documentarian

10am Introductory remarks (via Skype) by Daniel Mufson, author Reza Abdoh (1999)
10:15-11:50am Bogeyman (1991)
11:50am-1:15pm Law of Remains (1992)
1:15pm-3pm Tight Right White (1993)
3pm-4pm Selections from rarely seen video work, including The Blind Owl

AFTERNOON READING AND DISCUSSION

4:30 Quotations from a Ruined City (1994).
A reading of selections by original Dar a Luz company members Tony Torn, Peter Jacobs and Tom Pearl, joined by David Greenspan. Discussion to follow.

Part II

6:30pm EVENING PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS

Panel I: DAR A LUZ: PROCESS, COLLABORATION AND AESTHETIC

A panel with Reza Abdoh’s collaborators, including Juliana Francis-Kelly, Tom Pearl, Tal Yarden, Anita Durst and others; a filmed tribute by Alan Mandell; commentary from documentarian Sarvi Chan. Chaired by Elinor Fuchs with guest-commenter James Leverett.

Panel II: THE AESTHETIC MOVES OUTWARD: ABDOH’S CULTURAL KIN AND LEGACY

A panel discussing the aesthetic gestures of Abdoh’s work with Richard Foreman, Michael Counts, Caden Manson, Jim Findlay and curator/critic Marc Arthur. Chaired by Norman Frisch.