A love story in Iran. A family drama in Brazil. A tale of four filmmakers in Argentina.
These are some of the themes of plays featured in The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival. In its 11th edition, the festival will present nine plays between January 7 and 18 at The Public Theater at Astor Place and partner venues. At the same time, eight New York companies will present their work, as part of the “Incoming Series” which happens inside of the festival.
Meiyin Wang, co-director of Under the Radar, said this year the focus is very international. “The Cardinals” is from the UK, “Timeloss” is from Iran, “O Jardim” is from Brazil, “Cineastas” is from Argentina, “The Triumph of Fame” is from Switzerland.
Wang said the plays address different topics, but several are responding to a world overwhelmed by information and data. “Some of these works are really about slowing us down, and sort of filtering out the noise and thinking about something truly and deeply and being in one place and listening deeply,” she said.
“O Jardim” comes from Brazil's theater collective Companhia Hiato, founded by director and playwright Leonardo Moreira. The play is about stories from three generations of a family, and it explores memories we collect and invent. Wang said she saw the play in a festival in Bogota. “It really, really blew me away. Not only because of its visual installation, but because of the intricacy of the writing and the performers are just really just show stopping,” she said.
Jennifer Vanasco, WNYC’s theater critic, said she is looking forward to seeing “Cineastas,” from Argentinean Mariano Pensotti. She said the play is about the lives of four filmmakers over the course of a year in Buenos Aires, and it mixes theater with film. “There is a two-level set, there is going to be voice over, cross fades, long takes,” she said. “It's an epic tale, they say, of love, money, work and art and who doesn't want to see that?”
Vanasco is also looking forward to seeing two of the so-called micro-performances, where there is an audience of one. She said one of them is inspired by Marina Abramovic's performance at the Museum of Modern Art a few years ago, when she stared at audience members for hours.
“In this one, Reggie Watts, who is a comedian, will stare at you for five minutes, I guess, and maybe also do some improv beat-boxing, anyway, you have the performer's complete attention for five minutes,” she said. That piece is called “Audio Abramović.” The other micro-performance is “The Triumph of Fame.”
Tickets for all plays are $25.
