Why believe?

New York City

 Hosted by Church Street School for Music and Art in the TribeCa area of Manhattan, Why Believe? blends dance, theater, storytelling, projection/lighting design, live music, and participatory set design with 3 small bites (by Sixteen Mill) with drinks from Bad Seed Cider. This 5th chapter of Nourishment delves into a myriad of questions and feelings surrounding religion, afterlife, spirit and soul. What do you believe in and is it possible for deep beliefs to change? In our current national and international political climate it can seem that beliefs often do more dividing than bringing together. Why Believe? asks the audience to explore what it means to believe in something, what it feels like to lose faith, and if the act of believing even matters at all. Deemed “intuitive and forceful” (M. Davidson) and “interdisciplinary, visceral, aloud and alive” (Presenting Denver), Why Believe? builds on the Nourishment mission of creating sensory and experiential performances. Immersed in a richly textured, polyphonic environment, audience members participate in the construction of their experience, interacting actively with foods, drinks, and set elements. Why Believe? probes the roles of individual agency, illusion, and knowledge in the formation of beliefs, and the audience will be asked to consider and reconsider the choices they have made as active participants in the evening's performance. Ticket prices include three small bites, paired with wine/beer/spirits. Nourishment has teamed up with several New York area purveyors to honor their commitment to partnering with companies who are local, organic, and working with sustainability.

Premiere dates: Sept. 27-29, 2019
Premiere location: Church Street School for Music and Art, New York, NY

Collaborators/cast credits:
Direction, Choreography, & Performance by Gwendolyn Gussman
Musical Direction & Performance by Jett Kwong Kelly
Lighting Design, Stage Management, & Performance by Aja M. Jackson
Rehearsal Direction by Nico Gonzales
Performing Artists: Xenia Mansour, Kevin Quinn Marchman, Hallie Spoor, & Nico Gonzales
Scenography by Anna Driftmier
Project Coordination by Alex Taylor
Artistic Advisement by Ashley Tata