2015 Next Wave Festival OCT 2015 Shinique Smith, Beautiful Dreamer, 2015 Published by: Season Sponsor: Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, The Exalted Vice Chairman of the Board Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board Written by Carl Hancock Rux Katy Clark, President Music by Theo Bleckmann Joseph V. Melillo, Directed by Anne Bogart Executive Producer Commissioned by BAM DATES: OCT 28—31 at 7:30pm LOCATION: BAM Fisher (Fishman Space) RUN TIME: Approx 1hr 5min (no intermission) Season Sponsor: Programming by New York City artists in the BAM Fisher supported by Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Major support for theater at BAM provided by: The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust Donald R. Mullen Jr. The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund #THEEXALTED The SHS Foundation #BAMNextWave The Shubert Foundation, Inc. BAM Fisher ABOUT THE EXALTED THE EXALTED The Exalted resurrects stories from NY Premiere the past in a mesmerizing narrative on the fight for freedom, combining CONCEIVED AND WRITTEN BY strands of the life and final days Carl Hancock Rux of the once influential, now mostly forgotten, German-Jewish art historian MUSIC BY *All music composed by Carl Einstein, one of the first critics Theo Bleckmann* Theo Bleckmann except to affirm the importance of African “Lili Marleen” (Norbert Schultze) and sculpture, thus influencing figures PERFORMED BY “Lord is it Mine?” (Roger Hodgson) such as George Grosz, Pablo Picasso, Carl Hancock Rux (both arrangements by Bleckmann); and Georges Braque, and impacting Theo Bleckmann Piano Trio in A-minor (Gustav Mahler) the development of Cubism and the European avant-garde. Einstein, DIRECTED BY The Exalted was first presented at the whose work was characterized by Anne Bogart Center for the Art of Performance at communist sympathies and anarchist UCLA in 2013. The work was fur- views, inevitably became a target of SCENIC AND COSTUME DESIGN BY ther commissioned by the BAM/Next the German right wing during the Maureen Freedman Wave Festival 2015 and developed in interwar Weimar period. Interwoven residence with Live Arts Bard at the with reflections on the genocide of the VIDEO BY Richard B. Fisher Center for the Per- Herero and Nama people in pre-WWI Onome Ekeh forming Arts at Bard College, and the German-occupied Africa—the first Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts genocide of the 20th century and a LIGHTING DESIGN BY in Philadelphia, PA. direct precursor to Hitler’s holocaust Brian H Scott —The Exalted, based on a forthcoming Special thanks to Hamilton Kirby, novel by Carl Hancock Rux, is a poetic STAGE MANAGER Patrick Synmoie, Christian Epps, meditation on heritage, love, and the Kristy Bodall Kristy Edmunds, and Morgan Green. willpower to overcome atrocity. PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Felicia Lobo PRODUCED BY Stephen Cohen for Music + Art Photo: Carl Hancock Rux and Theo Bleckmann, by John Labbe Lisa Jones/Alva Rogers dance musi- cal, Stained. Rux originated the title role in the folk opera production of The Temptation of St. Anthony, directed Who’s by Robert Wilson with book, libretto, and music by Bernice Johnson Reagon as part of the Ruhrtriennale festival in Duisburg, Germany. The opera had Who its American premiere at the BAM Next Wave Festival in October 2004 and world premiere at the Paris Opéra CARL HANCOCK RUX Palais Garnier. Rux’s The Blackamoor Conception, Writer, Performer Angel, created with composer Deir- dre Murray, was performed as part Carl Hancock Rux is an award-winning of SummerScape at Bard College. He poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, and appeared in the Foundry Theatre’s recording artist. He is the former head production How Much is Enough? in its of the MFA writing for performance three-week run at St. Ann’s Warehouse program at the California Institute of in fall 2013. Rux was also the curator the Arts (2006—09) and has taught of the WeDaPeoples Cabaret originally or been in residence at the Univer- conceived by Sekou Sundiata and sity of California San Diego, Stanford presented each September by Harlem University, University of Massachusetts Stage. Amherst, Hollins University, University of Iowa, and Brown University. His film credits include The Grand In- quisitor (as The One, directed by Tony Rux is the author of the novel Asphalt, Torn), Brooklyn Boheme (documen- the Obie award-winning play Talk, tary, directed by Nelson George and and the Village Voice literary prize- Diane Paragas), Migrations (directed winning collection of poetry, Pagan by Nelson George), and The Revolution Operetta. He has worked as a writer Will Not Be Televised: a Film about Gil and frequent guest performer in dance, Scott-Heron (documentary, directed by collaborating with Marlies Yearby’s Don Letts), among others. Rux is the Movin’ Spirits Dance Theater, Urban subject of the Voices of America televi- Bush Women, Jane Comfort & Co., Bill sion documentary, Carl Hancock Rux, T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Coming of Age (produced by Larry Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Clamage and Richard Maniscalo), and Martha Clarke. Most recently, Four recipient of the CINE Golden Eagle Corners, the critically acclaimed piece Award. He was host and programming cheographed by Ron Brown for the director of the WBAI radio show, Live Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, from Nuyorican Poets Cafe, contribut- which premiered at Lincoln Center in ing correspondent for XM radio’s The June 2013 was set to Rux’s Lamenta- Bob Edwards Show, and frequent tions (for you, son). Rux received a guest host on WNYC’s Soundcheck. Bessie award for his direction of the Rux co-wrote and narrated the radio Photo: Carl Hancock Rux and Theo Bleckmann, by John Labbe documentary, Walt Whitman: Songs of edith Monk, with whom Bleckmann Myself, awarded the New York Press THEO BLECKMANN worked as a core ensemble member ANNE BOGART Club Journalism award for entertain- Music, Performer for 15 years. His uniquely flexible and Director ment news. colorful voice has also inspired com- A jazz singer and new music composer Anne Bogart is a prolific and award- positions by, among others, Michael of eclectic tastes and prodigious gifts, winning American theater and opera To mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Gordon, David Lang, Ikue Mori, Kirk Grammy-nominated Theo Bleckmann, director. She is the co-artistic director WNYC’s The Greene Space commis- Nurock, Julia Wolfe and, prominently, who has resided in New York City since of SITI Company, which she founded sioned Rux to create and perform a Phil Kline, who wrote three major song 1989, has released a series of gor- with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki spoken word piece meant to be a cycles for Bleckmann: Zippo Songs geous and irreverent albums on Winter in 1992, and a professor at Columbia mosaic of remembrance of this histori- (2004, BAM Next Wave 2012) , Locus & Winter, including recordings of Las University where she runs the graduate cal event. A City Reimagined: Voices Solus (2006), and Out Cold (2012), Vegas standards, Berlin Kabarett, and directing program. She is the author of of 9/11 in Poetry and Performance, which premiered at the BAM Fisher. popular “bar songs” (all with pianist five books: A Director Prepares; The was presented in partnership with The Bleckmann has composed for a range Fumio Yasuda); a recording of newly- Viewpoints Book; And Then, You Act; New Press and the Columbia Center for of instruments from piano, violin, and arranged songs by Charles Ives (with Conversations with Anne; and, most Oral History live in The Greene Space kalimba to chimes, glockenspiel, toy the improvisational jazz/funk collective recently, What’s the Story: Essays on September 7 & 8, 2011. It marked microphone, and sewing machines. Kneebody); and his Solos for Voice and about art, theater, and storytelling. She Rux’s return to The Greene Space after He composed an evening-length work Toys. In his highly acclaimed CD re- is the recipient of a Doris Duke artist a memorable appearance in A Global for voice and the JACK String Quartet lease of 2012, Hello Earth—The Music grant, a USA fellowship, a Rockefeller Piano and Literary Salon: Bebop and created the space alien language of Kate Bush, Bleckmann managed to fellowship, and a Guggenheim Spoken Here on May 12, 2011, with for Steven Spielberg’s Men in Black. bring an entirely new perspective to the fellowship as well as three honorary an impromptu recitation accompanied Bleckmann’s work has been described songbook of the British pop recluse. doctorate degrees, from Bard College, by jazz pianist, Gerald Clayton. His as “from another planet” (The New York 2013 saw the release of Mother Goose Cornish School of the Arts, and CDs include Rux Revue (Sony/550), Times), “transcendent” (Village Voice), Melodies, a return to Bleckmann’s Skidmore College. Recent works with Apothecary Rx (Giant Step), Good and “brilliant” (New York magazine), uniquely interpretive collaborations SITI include The Theater is a Blank Bread Alley (Thirsty Ear), and Homeo- and left one critic wondering, “does he with Fumio Yasada. Most recently, Page; Persians; Steel Hammer; A stasis (CD Baby). Rux is the recipient eat people food?” (AllAboutJazz). Bleckmann has been touring Europe Rite; Café Variations; Trojan Women; of several awards including the Herb with Ambrose Akinmusire and record- American Document; Antigone; Alpert Prize, NYFA Prize, NYFA Gregory Recent accolades include NPR’s 2012 ing with Julia Hülsmann’s trio, for the Freshwater Under Construction; Millard fellowship, and NEA/TCG artist- top 10 jazz albums of the year for ECM label. Who Do You Think You Are; Radio in-residency fellowship. Last fall he Hello Earth! The Songs of Kate Bush, Macbeth; Hotel Cassiopeia; Death and co-wrote (with Arthur Yorinks) and top five spots in the 2013 and 2014 Bleckmann‘s most frequent collabora- the Ploughman; La Dispute; Score; performed in NPR Presents Water± DownBeat critics’ polls for best male tors include John Hollenbeck and Gary bobrauschenbergamerica; Room; directed by Kenny Leon (national tour) vocalist, third place for best vocalist in Versace (The Refuge Trio) and guitar War of the Worlds; Cabin Pressure; and was recently commissioned to the 2012 Rhapsody poll of 119 critics phenomenon Ben Monder.