SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY CONSERVANCY INC

IN 2023, PARK AVENUE ARMORY PRESENTED A WIDE RANGE OF EXCEPTIONAL, UNCONVENTIONAL WORKS, INCLUDING NEW COMMISSIONS AND ACCLAIMED EXISTING PRODUCTIONS RETROFITTED TO THE WADE THOMPSON DRILL HALL, AS WELL AS NEW YORK DEBUTS FROM SINGULAR ARTISTIC VOICES. IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH PRODUCTION, FREE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS IMMERSED THOUSANDS OF ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDER-RESOURCED NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH VISIONARY ARTISTS AND THEIR CREATIVE PROCESSES. DRILL HALL PRODUCTIONS: LOVE (FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 25, 2023): WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ALEXANDER ZELDIN, LOVE DEPICTED THREE FAMILIES PLACED IN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION IN THE PERIOD LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS: A MIDDLE-AGED MAN AND HIS ELDERLY MOTHER, A YOUNG FAMILY EXPECTING A NEW BABY, AND A WOMAN WHO IS A REFUGEE FROM SUDAN. REIMAGINED FOR THE VAST WADE THOMPSON DRILL HALL FOR ITS NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE AFTER A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED TOUR IN EUROPE AND THE UK, THE ARMORY'S PRESENTATION OF LOVE WAS NAMED A CRITIC'S PICK BY THE NEW YORK TIMES AND IMMERSED AUDIENCES IN A STORY ABOUT FAMILY AND THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT FOR OUR TIMES. THE DOCTOR (JUNE 3 - AUGUST 19, 2023): CELEBRATED DIRECTOR ROBERT ICKE RETURNED TO THE ARMORY, AFTER RECEIVING TWO NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC'S PICKS FOR HAMLET AND ORESTEIA IN 2022, WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF THE DOCTOR STARRING HIS LONGTIME COLLABORATOR, JULIET STEVENSON. THE DOCTOR WAS A FREE ADAPTATION OF ARTHUR SCHNITZLER'S PROFESSOR BERNHARDI, AND EXPLORED THE CLASH BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION, AS WELL AS THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND HOW IDENTITIES COLLIDE. DOPPELGANGER (SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2023): IN A RARE SOLO PERFORMANCE, JONAS KAUFMANN, KNOWN AS "THE WORLD'S GREATEST TENOR" (TELEGRAPH UK), APPEARED IN THE WADE THOMPSON DRILL HALL IN A NEW ARMORY COMMISSION THAT WAS ALSO NAMED A CRITIC'S PICK BY THE NEW YORK TIMES. A THEATRICAL STAGING OF FRANZ SCHUBERT'S DEEPLY EMOTIONAL SONG CYCLE SCHWANENGESANG ("SWAN SONG"), DOPPELGANGER WAS LED BY ONE OF OPERA'S MOST ADVENTUROUS DIRECTORS, CLAUS GUTH, WITH SETS BY AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER MICHAEL LEVINE, AND LIGHTING DESIGN BY URS SCHNEBAUM. MUTANT; DESTRUDO (OCTOBER 11 - 15, 2023): VENEZUELAN MUSICIAN AND MULTIMEDIA ARTIST ARCA MADE HER DEBUT IN THE WADE THOMPSON DRILL HALL WITH A NEW ARMORY COMMISSION, MUTANT; DESTRUDO. A GRAMMY AND LATIN GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE AS WELL AS RECENT UK MUSIC VIDEO AWARD WINNER, SHE HAS WORKED WITH FKA TWIGS, BJRK, AND LADY GAGA, AND COMPOSED A CONSTANTLY TRANSFORMING SOUNDTRACK FOR THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART'S LOBBY USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THE RITE OF SPRING / COMMON GROUND[S] (NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 14, 2023): CLOSING THE 2023 SEASON WERE TWO WORKS OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE: THE RITE OF SPRING AND COMMON GROUND[S]. IN ICONIC GERMAN CHOREOGRAPHER PINA BAUSCH'S MONUMENTAL THE RITE OF SPRING - SET TO IGOR STRAVINSKY'S SCORE - A "CHOSEN ONE" IS SACRIFICED, CHANGING THE SEASON FROM WINTER TO SPRING. FOR THIS THRILLING STAGING OF BAUSCH'S TRAILBLAZING WORK - NAMED A CRITIC'S PICK BY THE NEW YORK TIMES - SENEGALESE CHOREOGRAPHER AND DANCER GERMAINE ACOGNY, FOUNDER OF DANCE COMPANY COLE DES SABLES AND WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE, "THE MOTHER OF AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY DANCE," SPECIALLY ASSEMBLED A COLLECTIVE OF 34 DANCERS FROM 14 AFRICAN COUNTRIES. COMMON GROUND[S] WAS A NEW WORK CHOREOGRAPHED AND PERFORMED BY ACOGNY AND CHOREOGRAPHER AND DANCER MALOU AIRAUDO, WHO PERFORMED LEADING ROLES IN MANY OF BAUSCH'S EARLY WORKS AS A MEMBER OF TANZTHEATER WUPPERTAL PINA BAUSCH. A POETIC AND TENDER ANTIDOTE TO RITE, THE DUET EXPLORED AGE, ANCESTRY, AND OUR COMMON HUMAN THREAD.