The American Living Room

The Annual American Living Room (TALR) festival supports the development of new, multidisciplinary works & artists in a setting that strives to make theatre as much a part of everyday life as watching TV. This year’s festival presents 30 events — directing projects, performances, puppetry pieces and new musical compositions — involving approximately 300 artists. Work was developed in response to this year’s theme: The ‘Carousel of Progress’ in America. The artists’ work responds to this theme, depicting how they see, smell, taste, hear, feel & interpret America’s progress as it was, as it is and as it will be. Pieces range from 10 to 120 minutes in length and are presented in TALR’s signature ‘comfortable living room environment’ with an eclectic mix of easy chairs & plump couches, presenting challenging and compelling theater in a laid-back familiar setting.

Schedule

Still Life With Runner – July 20 & 21 (Wednesday & Thursday)

Written by Steven Gridley & co-directed by Steven Gridley & Jacob Titus

Saudade – July 22 & 23 (Friday & Saturday)

Created by The South Wing & directed by Kameron Steele

Aurolac Blues – July 25 & 26 (Monday & Tuesday)

Written by Saviana Stanescu & directed by Nina Hein

Drinking the Kool-Aid – July 25 & 26 (Monday & Tuesday)

Created & performed by Fernando Maneca/Manoiseca

Yit, Ngay (One, Two) – July 27 (Wednesday)

Written & directed by Michael Lew

Querrelle Quartet and Coming Forth By Day – July 28 & 29 (Thurs. & Fri.)

Directed by Yvan Greenber, performed by Laboratory Theater

Is This a Gentleman? – July 30 & 31 (Saturday & Sunday)

Written & directed by Kara Freely, performed by Ross Beschler & Avi Glickstein

Wound Up – July 30 & 31 (Saturday & Sunday)

Choreographed & performed by Cheryl Conkling

Directed by Maureen Towey w/ music by Bell Orchestra

Solo/Together – August 1 (Monday)

Created by viBe Theater Experience, co-directed by Dana Edell & Chandra Thomas

Organized Color Intoxication – August 2 (Tuesday)

Directed by Jonathan Zalben, video mixing by Marshall Jones & film by Taylor Krauss

My Words Turn to Songs In Your Fists – August 4 & 5 (Thursday & Friday)

Composed & conducted by John Altieri with choreography by Daman Harun

The Secret Face – August 4 & 5 (Thursday & Friday)

Written by Elisabet Jokulsdottir & directed by Steinunn Knutsdottir
Performed by Palina Jonsdottir

K. – August 6 & 7 (Saturday & Sunday)

Conceived & directed by Kenn Watt & choreographed by Tanya Calamneri
Created by ensemble Sean Simon, Deke Weaver, Raquel Cion, Gillian Chadsey & Sam Zuckerman

Destruction – August 10 & 11 (Wednesday & Thursday)

Adapted from Richard Foreman’s notebooks & directed by Caleb Hammond

All the Faithfully Departed – August 10 & 11 (Wednesday & Thursday)

Choreographed by Jeremy Laverdure & performed by besto perfeckto

In the Belly of the Beast With Two Backs – August 12 & 13 (Friday & Saturday)

Conceived & directed by Lisa Jackson, with physical consulting by Matthew Morgan

Flint, Michigan – August 14 & 15 (Sunday & Monday)

Directed & co-conceived by Elizabeth Bourgeois, produced & co-conceived by Hays Hitzing

State of the Union – August 16 & 17 (Tuesday & Wednesday)

Co-directed & created by Greg Felden, Alice Moore & Jonathan C. Green

Fresh Kills: A Waste Is a Terrible Thing to Mind – August 16 & 17 (Tuesday & Wednesday)

Directed & composed by Lanny Meyers with videos by Christine Schiavo

Stay – August 18 (Thursday)

Choreographed by Shannon Hummel in collaboration with dancers Vanessa Adato & Donna Costello of Cora Dance Company

Eat Shit and Die With the Joneses! – August 19 & 20 (Friday & Saturday)

Written & performed by Boomie Aglietti and Max Dana of The Society for Creative Dissent