The Humans

BAM

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BAM 2013 Next Wave Festival sponsor

Support for The Humans provided by Agnes Gund and Toby Devan Lewis

Major support for theater at BAM provided by:The Morris and Alma Schapiro FundThe SHS FoundationThe Shubert Foundation, Inc.

Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art

Written and directed by

Alexandre Singh

DATES: Nov 13—16 at 7:30pm Nov 17 at 3pm LOCATION: BAM Fisher (Fishman Space)

RUN TIME: 3hrs with one intermission

ARTIST TALK: On Truth (and Lies) in Greek Comedy with Alexandre Singh, Sam Crane, Liebseth Levy, and Simon Critchley Sun, Nov 17 at 12:30pm $15; $7.50 for Friends of BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Hillman Attic Studio

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board

William I. Campbell, Vice Chairman of the Board

Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board

Karen Brooks Hopkins, President

Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer

#TheHumans

2013 Next Wave Festival

BAM and PERFORMA present

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED ByAlexandre Singh

CHOREOGRAPHy ANDASSISTANT DIRECTION ByFlora Sans

MUSIC By Gerry Arling, Rik Elstgeest, and Bo Koek (in collaboration with Robbert Klein, Annelinde Bruijs, Amir Vahidi)

COSTUME DESIGN By Holly Waddington

LIGHTING DESIGN By Guus van Geffen

MASK DESIGN ByAlexandre Singh

SET DESIGN By

Alexandre Singh and Jessica Tankard

MAKE UP AND WIG DESIGN By

Susanna Peretz

PRODUCED ByMaaike Gouwenberg (A.P.E. — art projects era)

The Humans is commissioned by Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Performa. The Humans is co-produced by Preromanbritain LLC, Witte de With, Productiehuis Rotterdam, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, and Performa 13. It is presented in partnership with Festival De Keuze and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) as part of Performa 13.

The Humans FUNDING & SUPPORTFonds de dotation Famille Moulin, Le Meurice, Sprüth Magers Berlin London, lnstitut Français, Codarts Rotterdam, A.P.E. (art projects era), Stichting Niemeijer Fonds, AGI Verona Col-lection, Private Collection Asiago, Gemeente Rotterdam Dienst Kunst en Cultuur, Monitor (Rome), Perform-ing Arts Fund (NL), and Art:Concept (Paris).

The Humans by Alexandre Singh

US Premiere(World Premiere: September 28, 2013, Rotterdam)

The Humans tells the story of two spirits named Tophole and Pantalin-gua who would rather see Earth not created. The work is modeled on the comic writings of Aristophanes and set during the dawn of time and space. In a battle against the egomaniacal cre-ator, Tophole and Pantalingua conspire their way to an accidental Paradise Lost, ultimately corrupting the eponymous humans—portrayed as a vast, songful, and statuesque Greek chorus—into the flawed mortals we are today.

Alexandre Singh was invited by Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art todevelop The Humans at Witte de With from April 2012 to January 2013, after which he continued to work on the play in Rotterdam. Singh shared and developed his research and production through public presenta-tions of his work-in-progress centered

around thematic monthly public events at Witte de With, titled Causeries. Dur-ing these public conversations, Singh looked at topics ranging from cosmol-ogy and cosmogony to satire, theatrical costumes, and scatology as well as key inspirational figures such as Aristo-phanes, Alexander Pope, P.G. Wode-house, William Hogarth, John Ruskin, South Park, and Woody Allen, resulting in this full-fledged theatrical account of the universe’s creation.

Alexandre SinghWriter-Director

Alexandre Singh (b1980, Bordeaux) is a writer and visual artist. In his texts, performances, plays, and instal-lations, Singh utilizes multiple sources and heterogeneous tales, often includ-ing eclectic mass cultural references. His work is in the collections of the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Frac des Pays de Ia Loire, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Image: “View of the Studio,” Courtesy Art:Concept, Metro Pictures, Monitor, Sprüth Magers (Berlin, London)

2013 Next Wave Festival

Commission & Co-Production

WITTE DE WITH CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARy ART (ROTTERDAM)Commissioner: Defne Ayas (Director/Curator)

Project Manager: Amira Gad (Managing Curator)

Head Technician: Paul van Gennip (Deputy Director)

Technical Producers: Gé Beckman, Ties Ten Bosch, Carlo van Driel, Line Kramer, Chris van Mulligen, Hans Tutert, Jonathan den Breejen

Business Coordination: Sarah van der Tholen

Press: Josine Sibum Siderius, Angélique Kool

PRODUCTIEHUIS (ROTTERDAM)Director: Ellen Walraven

Coordinator: Tanja Elstgeest

PERFORMA (NEW yORK)

Founding Director and Curator: RoseLee Goldberg

Producing Director and International Affairs: Esa Nickle

Curator-at-Large: Defne Ayas

Curator: Mark Beasley

Associate Curator: Charles Aubin

Associate Curator, Performa Institute: Adrienne Edwards

Film and Dance Curator: Lana Wilson

Development and Special Events: Luisa Gui

Communications Manager: Jessica Massart

Communications Coordinator & Special Projects:Job Piston

Research and Archives: Marc Arthur

Performa Magazine: Jennifer Piejko, Editor

Production Assistant: Bret Tonelli

Membership and Special Events: Tali Wertheimer

Development Assistant: Anna Cline

Assistant Curator:Summer Guthery

Curatorial Fellow: Laura McLean-Ferris

Technical Director: Mike Skinner

Curatorial Fellow & Coordinator: for Norwegian Pavillion:Randi Grov Berger

Curatorial Fellow & Coordinator: for Polish Pavillion:Monika Rendzner

Lighting Designer: Robert Wuss

Production Manager: Elizabeth Feidelson

Curatorial Assistant & Artists’ Liaison:Cara Stewart

Who’sWho

2013 Next Wave Festival

Photo: Elizabeth Cadwallader, Ryan Kiggell by Sanne Peper

CASTMs.Chief Simona BitmatéHarry Foulbreech Jesse BritonPantalingua Elizabeth CadwalladerTophole Sam CraneCharles Ray Phillip EdgerleyVernon/31 Ryan KiggellN Flora Sans

CHORUSAnnelinde Bruijs, Sanna Elon Vrij, Folkert van Diggelen, Dook van Dijck, Loulou Hameleers, Lucia Kiel, Su-zanne Kipping, Robbert Klein, Gerty Van de Perre, Amir Vahidi, Sanne den Besten, Lucas Schilperoort

HUMANSDuchess Annelinde BruijsCrone Sanne den BestenSplingebottom Jesse BritonBullen Dook van DijckVermillion Phillip EdgerleyStrumpet Loulou HameleersFrau Lucia KielFingerer Ryan KiggellHag Suzanne KippingBertrand Robbert KleinDandy Lucas SchilperoortWife Gerty Van de PerreHusband Folkert van DiggelenMacaire Amir VahidiBray Sanna Elon Vrij

SONGS

WORK IS GOOD, WORK IS HOLy Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Annelinde Bruijs, Amir Vahidi; Ar-rangement by Gerry Arling

ODE TO HARUSPICATION Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Robbert Klein, Annelinde Bruijs, Amir Vahidi; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

SUN AND MOON Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan, Gerry Arling, An-nelinde Bruijs; Arrangement by Gerry Arling, Annelinde Bruijs

THE TOILET SONG Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Gerry Arling, Robbert Klein, Amir Vahidi; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

WHO BE SHE THAT CREATURE Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Gerry Arling, Bo Koek; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

WE NEVER REALISED Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Alexandre Singh, Gerry Arling, Amir Vahidi, Annelinde Bruijs, Robbert Klein; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

BETTER TO BE A BEE Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Gerry Arling, Robbert Klein, Amir Vahidi; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

NO JOy WITHOUT TERROR Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Gerry Arling; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

MAN IS A WORM Lyrics by Alexandre Singh; Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau; Arrangement by Gerry Arling

Performa 13 Hub Coordinator: Kristina Valberg

Production Assistant & Website Coordinator:Debbie Huang

Website Coordinator: Melissa Negro

Curatorial Assistant: Amanda Ryan

Archival Photographer: Paula Court

Director Performa TV: Pierce Jackson

PRODUCTION TEAMAssistants to the director: Elly Scheele, Alice Walter

Choreography Assistant:Nina Boas

Script Editor: Ella Christopherson

Stage Manager: Siemen van der Werf

Backstage Manager: Samantha Santos

Production Assistant: yoeri Guepin

Sound Engineer: Guido Langendoen

Sound Assistant: Margreet van der Helm

Light Technician: Jorg Schellekens

Stage Technician: André Goos

Set: Gé Beckman, Paul van Gennip, Case Miller (Sun and Moon), Geert Schuurmans, Hans Borggreven, Niels Vis

Prop Supervisors: Tyler Considine, Merel van ‘t Hullenaar

Props:Christian Hansen, Thoomas van den Oever, Renée Staal, Niels Vis

Stagehands: Annie MacDonald, Maren Lord

Masks:Ronald Schinkelshoek

Costume Supervisor & Head of Wardrobe: Merel van ‘t Hillenaar

Wardrobe Assistants: Bo Mulder, Elisa Santiago, Sarah Jean, Becky Vanderway, Bunny Lampert, Alexandra Eastburn

Costume Assistants: Malin Anderson, Thera Hillenaar

Make up Assistants:Cherry Lee, Anny Chow

Set Construction: Anthony Taylor, Brandon Ndife

Runners: Libby Rothfeld, yuko Sobrin

Set Assistants: Libby Rothfeld, yuko Sobrin

Casting Director: Hancock Stevenson, London

FILM

Director of Production: Sal Kroonenberg

Sound: Frank van der Weij

Editing:Alexandre Singh

Production: Judith Hulsbosch

ARTIST STUDIO

Studio Manager: Laura Turcan

Studio Assistants: Jessica Tankard, Thomas van den Oever, Renée Staal

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSSpecial thanks to Jan Zoet, RoseLee Goldberg, Esa Nickle, David Harper, Joseph V. Melilo, the participants of the Causeries public event series, Jessica Frazier, Andrew Jaffe, Berna-dette Leclercq-Neveu, Bénédicte Lem-melijn, Alexander Verpoorte, Francis Wolf, Brian Dunphy, Pascal Dupuy, Martin Myrone, Alan Cummings, Amy Kenny, Valeria de Lucca, Edith Hall, James Robson, Alexa Piqueux, Adriaan Rademaker, Philip Small-wood, Kathleen Burk, Gareth Long, Graham Ley, Claudio Vellutini, Peter de Graeve, Adam Kleinman, Liesbeth Levy, Nick Lowe, David Inglis, Iki Freud; Jack Bakker, Ashendene, Josh-ua Thies, Meg Turner, Caroline Dose, Athena Gronti, yoeri Guepin, Fabrique Urbaiine, Maria Elettra Esteri, Char-lotte ten Raa, Daphne de Sonneville, Samuel Saelemakers, Gerda Brust, Wendy Bos, Angélique Kool, Emmelie Mijs, APFEL, and Kristin Metho.

ABOUT WITTE DE WITH CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARy ART

Witte de With Center for Contem-porary Art is an international public institution with Rotterdam as its home base. Established in 1990, Witte de With explores developments in contemporary art worldwide. Witte de With has been commenting on the social and political predicament since its inception through the presentation of curated exhibitions, symposia, live events, educational programs, and a bold publishing arm.

ABOUT PERFORMA

Founded in 2004 by art historian and curator RoseLee Goldberg, Performa isthe leading organization dedicated to exploring the critical role of liveperformance in the history of twen-tieth-century art and to encouraging new directions in performance for the twenty-first century. Its biennial isthe only one dedicated to commis-sioning, presenting and exploring newvisual art performance across disciplines. For three weeks, Novem-ber 1—24, 2013, Performa and a consortium of innovative organizations will band together to transform New york City into an international platform for celebrating live art. More informa-tion at performa-arts.org.

2013 Next Wave Festival

Who’sWho

Photo: Ryan Kiggell, Simona Bitmaté by Sanne Peper

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