BAMbill

FOOD


November 2—18, 2023
BAM Fisher (Fishman Space)

Created and co-directed by Geoff Sobelle

RUN TIME:
1hr, 20min

Season Sponsor:

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Leadership support for Next Wave 2023 provided by:

Leadership support for theater at BAM provided by:
The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.
The SHS Foundation
The Shubert Foundation, Inc.

BAM would like to acknowledge that the land we are on today and on which all of our physical buildings are located is the stolen land of the Lenape people. We acknowledge the Indigenous stewardship of this land and honor the Lenape elders past and present, as well as future generations.

FOOD

Creator, Performer & Co-Director, Geoff Sobelle

Co-Creator/Magician, Steve Cuiffo

Co-Director, Lee Sunday Evans

Sound Design, Tei Blow

Original Lighting Design, Isabella Byrd

Lighting Design, Devin Cameron

Chandelier Creation, Steven Dufala

Props Creation, Jessie Baldinger, Julian Crouch, Steve Cuiffo, Nathan (Pierre) Lemoine, Raphael Mishler, Connor O’Leary, Geoff Sobelle, Matthew Soltesz, Christopher Swetcky

Associate Sound Design, Ryan Gamblin

Creative Stage Manager, Lisa McGinn

Assistant Stage Manager, Red Guhde

Production Manager/Technical Director, Chris Swetcky

Creative Producer, Jecca Barry



Funder Credits

FOOD is commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Arizona State University – Gammage, FringeArts Philadelphia, Allen & Meghan Thorpe, and Garth Patil. Additional support provided by the Wyncote Foundation. Developmental support provided by Mercury Store.  


Special Thanks

Adam Blumenthal, Sophie Bortolussi, Ryan Bourke, Violaine de Carné, Ernesto Collado, Joey Cosio-Mercado, John Del Gaudio, Jim Findlay, Will Frears, Tyler Gunther, Kevin Hanley, Hermitage Artists Retreat, Nate Lemoine, Jeremy Lydic, Tom Mullica, Dick & Liz Sobelle, Matthew Soltesz, Tannen’s Magic, UCDavis - and all of the cast/crew of the first FOOD show


A Note from Geoff Sobelle

A quick caveat to the show’s crediting…

While everyone listed in this program absolutely did the jobs they are credited for, each and every one of them did much much more—and in a manner that is difficult to describe exactly. All of these humans, including most of the people in the “special thanks,” contributed not just their skills, but their ideas. Their opinions, taste, personal experiences, and generosity of spirit created a culture for FOOD that has been specific, vibrant and vital. Their collective imagination (as well as their labor) has fueled the integrity and delirium of this show.  —Geoff Sobelle


About the Artists

Geoff Sobelle

Geoff Sobelle (Creator/Performer) is a US-based actor and creator devoted to making original actor-driven performance works. His shows include: HOME, The Object Lesson, The Elephant Room, all wear bowlers, and machines machines machines machines machines machines machines (among others). He has received commissions from BAM, Lincoln Center, Arizona State University, Center Theatre Group, Edinburgh International Festival, and The New Zealand Festival. His shows have been recognized by a Bessie Award, an Obie Award in design, two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards, the Best of Edinburgh Award, a Total Theatre Award and an Innovative Theatre Award. He is a Pew Fellow and a Creative Capital Grantee. Geoff was a company member of Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company from 2001–2012. He trained in physical theater at the Lecoq school in Paris and is a graduate of Stanford University. www.geoffsobelle.com

Steve Cuiffo

Steve Cuiffo (Co-Creator/Magician)  is a magician and theater maker who creates solo performance, as well as collaborative works with other artists, filmmakers and theater companies. His work incorporates aspects of sleight of hand, misdirection, imitation, and reenactment to create unique performance, art, theater, and magic. Most recently he was the Illusion & Lip Sync Consultant for Lucas Hnath's Dana H. on Broadway, created sleight of hand for the feature film of White Noise directed by Noah Baumbach, was the Magic Consultant for the new season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Other work includes: Illusion Design for Geoff Sobelle's Home and The Object Lesson; Magic for Thaddeus Phillips' Zoo Motel, Magic Director for David Blaine: Live; an associate with the Wooster Group theater company; and co-founder of Secret Arts.

Lee Sunday Evans

Lee Sunday Evans (Co-Director) is a two-time Obie Award-winning director and choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Waterwell. Recent credits include Oratorio for Living Things by Heather Christian, Dance Nation by Clare Barron, HOME by Geoff Sobelle, In the Green by Grace McLean, Detroit Red by Will Power and The Courtroom, a reenactment of one woman's deportation hearings with transcripts arranged by Arian Moayed, now a feature film (www.thecourtroomfilm.com). Her work has been seen at The Public Theater, Lincoln Center, BAM, Playwrights Horizons, Steppenwolf, The Atlantic, WP Theater, The Play Company, The Bushwick Starr, ArtsEmerson, Edinburgh International Festival, among others. She is also a co-creator of The Flores Exhibits (www.flores-exhibits.org)

Isabella Byrd

Isabella Byrd (Original Lighting Design) is a Brooklyn-based artist. New York credits include Sanctuary City and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire both at New York Theatre Workshop. Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Corsicana, and Thanksgiving Play at Playwrights Horizons. Epiphany (Lincoln Center.) PLANO (Clubbed Thumb), “DADDY" A Melodrama (Vineyard/New Group), and Continuity (MTC.) International: Cabaret (West End, Olivier nomination), Endgame (Gate Theatre, Dublin), “DADDY" A Melodrama (Almeida, London.) Regional: ACT San Francisco, Actors Theatre Louisville, Alley Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, Old Globe, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Westport, and Williamstown. Upcoming: Epiphany at Lincoln Center, Corsicana at Playwrights Horizons. Awards: Lucille Lortel, Henry Hewes, Obies. USA829 member. www.isabellabyrd.design

Devin Cameron

For over two decades, Devin Cameron (Lighting Design) has illuminated the worlds of theatre, dance, music, and immersive experiences. From New York City's premier stages to acclaimed global venues, the New York Times has recognized his work as “brilliantly designed” and “extraordinary.” Notable design credits include the Drama Desk Award-winning “The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart” with the National Theatre of Scotland, Toshi Reagon’s “Parable of the Sower” at Lincoln Center, “Carmen” with Opera Naples, and myriad productions for Norwegian Cruise Line. In addition, Devin holds longstanding positions with two esteemed institutions: resident lighting designer for Punchdrunk's groundbreaking “Sleep No More,” and theatrical lighting designer for Apple's Steve Jobs Theatre, where he has had the privilege of collaborating with the likes of Malala Yousafzai and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. devincameron.com

Tei Blow

Tei Blow (Sound Design) is a media designer and performance maker. Tei’s work combines original compositions with found sound and images, and reproduces them with obsolete technology and live bodies. He has performed and designed with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Big Dance Theater, David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group, and The Future of Death. Tei’s work has been featured at Hartford Stage, Dance Theater Workshop, PS122, Lincoln Center, The Kitchen, BAM, The Public Theater, The Broad Stage, MCA Chicago, MFA Boston, Kate Werble Gallery, Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Roundabout, The Wadsworth Atheneum, and at theaters around the world. He is the recipient of a 2019 Baryshnikov Arts Center Cage/Cunningham Fellowship, A 2016 NYSCA Composer's Grant, and a 2015 Bessie Award for Outstanding Sound Design for David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group’s I Understand Everything Better. Tei is one half of Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, whose ongoing multipart series “The Art of Luv” received the Creative Capital Award.

Ryan Gamblin

Ryan Gamblin (Sound Associate) is a sound designer, composer, and performance-maker based in Brooklyn, NY. Their work centers around found media, original composition, system manipulation, and post-drama. Recent designs include: Weathering (Faye Driscoll), Liveness: A Performance Made from the WNYC Archives (The Civilians), Joan of Arc in a Supermarket in California (The Tank), and Mary Jane (Third Rail Rep).  Member, TSDCA. RyanGamblin.com | @sound.by.ryan

Lisa McGinn

Lisa McGinn (Creative Stage Manager) Recent credits: Geoff Sobelle’s Home and The Object Lesson; Elephant Room: Dust from the Stars (Center Theatre Group); Underground Railroad Game (Jennifer Kidwell, Scott R. Sheppard, Ars Nova, tour); A Hard Time (Pig Iron Theatre Co), Ocean Filibuster and How to Build a Forest (PearlDamour/ART); Detroit Red (ArtsEmerson); Sleep (Ripe Time Theatre); Chimera and The Wholehearted (Stein | Holum Projects); This is Reading (Lynn Nottage, Kate Whoriskey);  LA Dance Project (European tour); Jacuzzi (The Debate Society/Ars Nova); The Light Years (The Debate Society/NYSAF); Revolt. She said. Revolt Again and Winners and Losers (Soho Rep); Rememberer and Open House (Steven Reker); Eager to Lose (Ars Nova); Forbidden Creature Virgin Whore; From the Spot Where We/You/I Stand (Stood) (Miller Rothlein Dance); You, My Mother (Theatre of a Two-Headed Calf); Card and Gift and Baby Screams Miracle (Clubbed Thumb); The Seagull and Ivanov (Chekhov at Lake Lucille); The Room Sings, The Peripherals; Hot Lunch Apostles (Talking Band).  

RED 

RED (Assistant Stage Manager) (he/they) is a trans theater maker, designer, and enthusiastic gender-cannibal. RED received their BM at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Music and their Masters in Theater at Sarah Lawrence. RED has previously scenic designed RABBITS RABBITS, SPOUT, WAKE UP (SLC) as well as Scenic Assistant/Prop Master for URINETOWN (SLC). His scenic and prop design work was featured in CITYSCRAPE by Sophie McIntosh at Arts on Site and WILLA’S AUTHENTIC SELF by writer Lisa Clair at Theater Mitu in May of this year. They are thrilled be part of the FOOD tour. They most recently performed as Albert Cashier in THE VICKSBURG PROJECT (Mabou Mines) and was in THE BEAUTIFUL LADY (La MaMa) this May under the direction of Anne Bogart. RED is a New York Musical Festival award winner, and has performed at prominent venues and theaters across NYC. They have puppeteered alongside Little Amal, Processional Arts, Basil Twist, St. Anne’s Warehouse, and Bread and Puppet Theater. 

RED was a presenter at the 2022 CUNY Graduate Conference: Theater in Rupture. Website: www.theaterinthered.com

Chris Swetcky

Chris Swetcky (Technical Director/Production Manager) has held positions as the head of Technical Direction for the School of Theatre at Penn State University, and Technical Director for CalArts. In addition to his work in academics, Chris has worked at numerous venues across the country including most recently as Production Manager for Classical Theatre of Harlem’s First Noel at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. He was also Technical Director for the Ouroboro’s Trilogy, a compilation of three operas, Naga, Gilgamesh and Madame White Snake, performed at the Majestic Theatre in Boston. Chris previously worked for American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts as Associate Technical Director. While at A.R.T. Chris worked on numerous productions including a few Broadway hits, such as Porgy and Bess, Pippin, All the Way and most recently Finding Neverland. 

Jecca Barry

Jecca Barry (Creative Producer) is an opera, theatre, film, and music producer, as well as a nonprofit arts leader. From 2012–22, she served as Executive Director of the acclaimed production company Beth Morrison Projects (BMP), and was a Co-Director of New York’s annual PROTOTYPE Festival from 2017–22. Jecca has overseen the commissioning, development, production and touring of over 30 new theatre, music-theatre, and opera works, and has toured those works to over 40 national and 15 international venues. Works Jecca has produced have won two Pulitzer Prizes for Music, a Total Theatre Award and Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Bessie, Helen Hayes, Theatre Bay Area, and Elliot Norton Awards in cities around the US. The PROTOTYPE Festival was nominated for Outstanding Festival at the 2019 International Opera Awards. Jecca holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in avant-garde flute performance from the Royal Northern College of Music and New York University.