In the depths of LAVA is a reconstruction of Richard Foreman's play Lava as well as an homage to him as a ground breaking theatrical force. The original play was a co-production with The Wooster Group in 1989. This reconstruction sets the piece in 1953 where the CIA administered LSD as part of Project MkUltra. The piece takes a re-imagined inside look at one of the experiments and how they reshaped the identity of 3 human subjects who unwittingly participated. Through this piece, the human subjects take an exploratory journey where a new sense of self is manifested. the human subjects in this experiment in particular are everyday citizens. In the depths of LAVA plays at The Glove January 16-18 @ 8pm - Click here for more information. To reserve tickets click here.
Polina Ionina (Monitor) is a Kazakh-born Russian-American actor and director. A Pace University BFA Acting graduate, she has performed extensively with the Grotowski-based theater group Dzieci, and the immersive theater workshop PlayLab with Jeff Wirth. Polina is a co-founder of The How, a collaborative performance ensemble based in Brooklyn. A major influence on Polina’s thinking and practice comes from her time spent in Kyrgyzstan studying the meditative techniques of Sufi Whirling.
Amber Jaunai (Kyle/Peter) is a recent graduate of the BFA acting program at Pace University. Some of her recent credits include Law and Order (NBC), Polaroid Stories (Dir. Raelle Mydrick-Hodges), An Octoroon (Dir. Jean Randich), Hair (Dir. Saheem Ali), and Kaspar (Dir. Scott Davis). Always grateful.
Alec Funiciello (Matthew) - is a NYC based actor most recently seen as Romeo in Psittacus Production’s Romeo and Juliet at The Clark Theatre- Lincoln Center, White Heron Theatre -Nantucket, and the W.H.A.T on Cape Cod. He’s also performed in Cosmin Chivu’s The Mutilated, nominated for Best Revival 2015 by the Drama League. Alec has lately been curious in film and television, starring in a Volkswagen TV Commercial and most recently a Manhattan College Commercial. Alec is very connected to this ode to Richard Foreman and the multiple layers of elasticity that are being closely examined in Davis’s reimagining.
Keith Boratko (Neil) is an actor and musician based out of Brooklyn, and is thrilled to be presenting In The Depths Of LAVA! Keith received his BFA in Acting from Pace University in 2016. Among other credits, as an actor, Keith had the privilege to perform in the Sibiu International Theatre Festival In 2016, And was most recently seen portraying the title roll in Shakespeare’s ‘Pericles’ with the Fools and Kings Project this past summer. Keith’s musical experience has also led him to perform around the world at some remarkable venues, from Lincoln Center in New York to the Tomb of Agamemnon in Greece. Most recently, Keith had the great opportunity to act as the music director and pianist for the Tennessee Williams Festival, also earlier this summer. Keith would like to thank Scott Davis and the cast and production team for their hard work, and for including me in the process. Enjoy the show!
Scott F. Davis (Director) is a Brooklyn based collaborative theater artist who focuses on the reconstruction of classic/preexisting texts. His work has been seen at various venues including The Sibiu International Theater Festival, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, IRT, Axis Theater, The Sheen Center and many others. Scott is an alumni of Pace School Performing Arts (2016) , The Lincoln Center Directors Lab (2017) and Directors Lab West (2017).
Carlo Antonio Villanueva (Movement Director) is a Pilipinx-American dance and performance artist, born and raised in New Jersey. He is a performing member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and has also been engaged this season in the work of multidisciplinary choreographer Walter Dundervill (NYC), performance artist Barbora Kleinhamplová (Prague), and visual artist Kendell Geers (Brussels). Villanueva makes performance works collaboratively with his friend and creative partner, Miriam Gabriel.
Tanner Simpson (Technical Director/Lighting and Sound Designer) is a NYC based Lighting, Sound & Video Designer, & Production Manager for high-profile events & theatre. Design work has been featured at the Freedom Tower, 4 Times Square, the New York Public Library, Pace University, Brooklyn Academy of Music, IRT, HARD Summer, & more. Selected projects include: “A Star Has Burnt My Eye” (BAM Next Wave Festival 2016 & NY Times Critics' Pick), & “HAIR” (Midtown Arts Center, Fort Collins, CO). He has also done work for clients including: Genius Music, Cartier, The Durst Organization, Fetty Wap, Benjamin Moore, Stone Island, the US Open of Tennis, Snapchat, Euphoria Music Festival & many more.
John Erickson (Projection Designer) is a Brooklyn based projection designer and programmer. Originally from Colorado, John is a graduate of Colorado State University. Projection design credits include Who Knows? (Independent film), Cracked Orlando (Juliard), The Bridgette Hobbes Connection (Tisch School of the Arts), and Winners (Ensemble Theatre). Assistant Design credits include 50 Song Memoir (International Tour), Josephine (Asolo Rep), Marley (CenterStage Theatre) and Aida (The Muny Theatre).
YAMILA CHIAPPE (Set Designer) is a scenic and prop designer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some of her recent credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Schimmel Center for the Arts, New York), Look Back In Anger (Schaeberle Studios, New York), Bernarda Alba and See What I Wanna See in-rep (Schaeberle, New York). She has also recently designed props for the Fallen Angels Theater Company production of When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream And Shout (Theater Row, New York), which was picked by the New York Times as Critic’s Choice. She is a recent graduate from Pace University with a major in Production and Design for film and stage.
Avery Stray (Assistant Director) is a senior Directing Major at Pace University. Her past credits include: Look Back in Anger (Asst. Dir.), Translations (Asst. Director.), Tristan and Yseult (Asst. Dir.), Self Accusations (Asst. Dir), COCK (Sound Designer) No One Goes To Heaven (Director). She will be debuting her production of In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play this spring through Pace University and The Drama League.