Liz Magic Laser: Bystander
Archived Event
No Longer Showing.
Developed through a series of interviews with journalists and members of the public, Bystander stages an inverted dialogue between television news and its viewers. Professional newscasters, includingNY1’s Roger Clark, former WWOR-TV reporter Maria Trice and former KEYT-TV weatherman Jon Wright, will perform 2014 news highlights interwoven with the personal stories of New Yorkers collected from nearly a hundred interviews. Actors Lynn Berg, Audrey Crabtree, Annie Fox and Michael Wiener will contribute news reports as if they were voicing personal opinions. By re-contextualizing the television news scenario as theatrical dialogue, Laser lays bare the mechanisms at play in the presentation and reception of current events.
With this work, Laser re-imagines a television news broadcast that is filmed, edited and screened live as it is performed on stage. Laser conducted interviews and wrote the script for Bystander in collaboration with writer Sofia Pontén while both were in residence at the non-profit art space Recess in New York City. Both the Recess Session and the resulting performances at The Kitchen will be staged in a functioning television news studio.
Bystander was developed with and features television journalists and actors Lynn Berg, Roger Clark (NY1 reporter), Audrey Crabtree, Annie Fox, Maria Trice (former WWOR-TV reporter), Michael Wiener and Jon Wright (former KEYT-TV and WLBT-TV weather and news anchor).
Script written by Liz Magic Laser and Sofia Pontén based on nearly a hundred interviews conducted by the cast with members of the public at Recess in SoHo. Assistant Director: Sofia Pontén Technical Director: Irwin Seow Director of Photography: Laura Cooper Costume Stylist: Felicia Garcia-Rivera Research Assistants: Mimi Chiahemen, Lucia Hinojosa, Brian Mcelroy and Rachel Zaretsky
March 27–29, 8pm
Tickets $15
Liz Magic Laser's Bystander is produced in collaboration with Recess, and made possible with support from Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo and The Dorothea Leonhardt Fund at the Communities Foundation of Texas, Inc., Eileen & Michael Cohen, Michael I. Jacobs M.D., Joseph Varet & Esther Kim Varet, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and with public funds from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Image: Liz Magic Laser, Bystander, 2014
The Kitchen Blog
Now Hiring: Chief of Staff
Mar 15 2023
The Kitchen Is Hiring! The Kitchen is currently open to applications for a full-time Chief of Staff position. The Chief of Staff will be responsible for collaborating with the Executive Director & Chief Curator to help implement the strategic efforts of The Kitchen and operations plan...Read On
Join Our Team: Grants Manager
Feb 07 2023
The Kitchen Is Hiring The Kitchen is currently open to applications for a full-time Grant Manager position. Reporting directly to the Director of Development at The Kitchen, this position will provide critical support and oversight of the grant writing process. The Grants Manager will be...Read On
Announcing Our Winter/Spring 2023 Season
Feb 06 2023
PRESS RELEASE THE KITCHEN ANNOUNCES WINTER/SPRING 2023 SEASON Season Continues to Engage Artists Within a Durational Programming Model that Nurtures Collaborative Experimentation Winter/Spring 2023 Programming Includes: Red, White, Yellow, and Black: 1972–73 , March 7–April 29, 2023C...Read On