The Evolution Festival

September 5-28, 2024
Eighteen original ONe-nIght-only performances

The EVOLUTION FESTIVAL presents original works of theater, dance, music, comedy, and interdisciplinary performance from NYC area artists from September 5-28, 2024 at The Center at West Park in NYC.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

August 28th

Squeaky Wheelz Productions
Thursday, September 5th at 8:30pm
Sanctuary

August 28th is a choreopoem following five Black women through a journey of self-discovery through poetry and movement. This show asks: how do our bodies hold trauma, and how do we (Black folk) stop requiring excellence in exchange for joy.

POWERS

DAP The Contract
Friday, September 6th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

Powers captures DAP The Contract’s perspective of the world for the last 4 years. Sparked by the COVID pandemic and the protests against the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the series is an experiment fusing electronic and house music with afrobeat and hip-hop sounds, a representation of a decade of a life spent in each of Nigeria, the U.K., and the U.S.

A Drag is Born

Edu Díaz Productions
Saturday, September 7th at 8:30pm
Chapel

In a twist of fate, a man is thrust into the spotlight for his drag debut. With advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate. Clown, drag, mime, and magical realism fuel a colorful journey as he discovers it’s never too late to embrace your true self.

Boy My Greatness

By Zoe Senese-Grossberg
Presented by The Firebird Project
Thursday, September 12th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

At the Globe Theater in the summer of 1606, six boy players warm up, run lines, gossip, and fall in and out of love all in between rehearsals for the premieres of Antony and Cleopatra and Twelfth Night. As the plague and rising religious conservatism threaten their way of life, they are all forced to reconsider their futures on the stage. A play about growing up, gender, and a chapter of theater history we seek to forget.

Straight Icons

SMJ and Anne-Marie Pietersma
Friday, September 13th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

A play with comedy, mime, dance, music, and drag,  Straight Icons features visits from cartoon superstars, international pop stars, unhinged politicians, and late 2000s MTV dating show contestants who force Queer BFFs Anne-Marie and SMJ to confront the uncomfortable intersection of queer liberation, exploitation, and performative queerness.

Rachana

The Nadanam Collective
Saturday, September 14th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

The Nadanam Collective presents  രചന 'Rachana’, a traditional Indian dance production that honors the rich cultural heritage, vibrant rhythms, and beloved musical compositions originating from Kerala, India. Through the vocabulary of Bharatanatyam, our dancing bodies become a bridge to our ancestors, allowing us to pay homage to the diverse musical tapestry of our beloved homeland.

Echo: A Musical Quest

Deniz Demirkurt
Wednesday, September 18th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

Echo: A Musical Quest is a continuation of the Greek mythology of Echo, a mountain nymph who was cursed by Hera to only be able to repeat the last words someone says to her. Our story explores what happens to Echo after she’s been cursed and follows her as she embarks on a journey to find her voice again.

How Not to Kill Your Family

Bree Rosen
Thursday, September 19th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

How to Not Kill Your Family is a darkly, comedic one-woman play about Rosebud, a new mom suffering from postpartum anxiety, flashing back to her youth when she was haunted by violent, hysterical, sexual fantasies and intrusive thoughts, which are revisiting her upon her daughter's birth. Inspired by Rosen’s true story, "How Not to Kill Your Family" tells the outrageous and heartfelt tale of one woman’s determination to define and confront her anxiety disorder, before it defines her.

The Godless War

Arif Silverman
Thursday, September 19th at 8:30pm
Sanctuary

Written in iambic pentameter and evoking the themes of Greek Myth through medieval South Asian aesthetics, this new solo play examines the mental, physical, and spiritual cost of war.A fictional nation’s sole survivor tells the story of the brutal holy war that led to its demise.

The Honorable Herbert Peabody

Kirk McGee
Friday, September 20th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

It's the opening day of the Honorable Herbert Peabody Library and Legacy Center, and a well-intentioned tour guide named Joe finds himself trying to juggle a Senator's lofty legacy with his recently revealed litany of sex scandals for an increasingly disgruntled tour group. As the tour unravels, Joe gains a new understanding of his own actions and must decide whether he'll stand idly by or stand on the right side of history.

Dreamcats! The Musical

Midnight Radio Show
Saturday, September 21st at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

Enter an enchanted world where Cats rule and study dreams. We follow the adventures of the magnificent Puccini and his beloved Princess. One part musical, one part shadow play, Dreamcats! is a whimsical theatrical experience, another avant garde enchantment brought to you by the makers of Midnight Radio Show.

Sex Diaries of an Ex-Catholic

Abigail Jensen
Saturday, September 21st at 7:00pm
Chapel

This wacky tale follows Joan, as her sex-capades are accompanied by classic Catholic hymns! Through threesomes and foot fetishes, Joan must compensate for her lack of sex education but is confronted by dismal sexual healthcare in the US. She asks herself if sex can offer anything other than broken hearts, bloody noses, and… butter?

Ulysses Missa

Sarah Norcross
Thursday, September 26th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

Ulysses Missa is an a cappella musical adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses that subverts the structure of a Catholic Latin High Mass. Using the form of the Mass, it tells the story of Leopold Bloom as he confronts the inevitability of his wife, Molly’s, upcoming affair with Blazes Boylan. Celebrate one of the greatest works of modernist literature with sirens, prostitutes, a cyclops, the ghost of King Hamlet, and bullying barmaids.

Depresh Mode

Elise Wien, J.C. Pankratz, and Liza Couser
Thursday, September 26th at 8:30pm
3rd Floor Studio

A medical startup is beginning clinical trials for its groundbreaking new antidepressant, Enditol. But there’s only one spot left in the clinical trial—how will they decide their last test subject? A song contest, of course. Follow eight contestants and their intrepid host on their journey toward mental health, high notes, and one very big pharmaceutical crown.

The Price is Right (De-valued)

Carmen Caceres DanceAction
Friday, September 27th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

The Price is Right (De-Valued) is a multimedia dance performance that explores the concept of self-value in relation to labor, economics, and social justice. This interactive experience analyzes the process of “self-devaluation” and metaphorically compares it with economic inflation.

7 ACTORS. 1 ROOM.

Matthew Keaton
Saturday, September 28th at 7:00 PM
3rd Floor Studio

In the bustling world of theater, egos clash and tensions run high as this peculiar cast of actors, each harboring their own resentments and biases, approach their last rehearsal together to mount a production. Amidst scandal in the industry and backstage drama, they must confront their deep-seated animosities and prejudices to salvage their show.

Bombshell

Madison Mayor
Saturday, September 28th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

Bombshell follows three sparkly showgirls who put up environmentally conscious cabaret acts in a rundown Vegas nightclub. Unsurprisingly, the club is closing, but the girls are determined to go out with a bang. Bombshell is a story about how far we’ll go for love, of each other and of our home planet, and who is the biggest fish in the pond of environmental responsibility. 

MuZe: My Evening with Liza

Daniel Barrett
Monday September 30th at 7:30pm
Sanctuary

MuZe: My Evening With Liza is a coming (out) of age story that answers the age-old question. What is it about gay people and their obsession with Liza Minnelli? A Muse is a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist, but a MuZe with a Z, well you’ll just have to come to find out!

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

The Evolution Festival is supported, in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with The City Council.

We would also like to thank and acknowledge our donors for their generous support of The Evolution Festival and our programming year-round.