Sixty + artists' projects from around the world.
Guest curators: Kalia Brooks, MoCADA Director of Exhibitions and
Trinidad Fombella, El Museo Del Barrio Exhibitions Manager/Assistant
Curator.
Festival Producer, Lucia Warck Meister. Founder/Director, Ed Woodham.
"Gimme Bak Ma Clothes!"- Lawrence Graham Brown for AIOP Ritual 2011
A reinterpretation of Black Folklore and artistic intervention,
inspired by Thomas Dartmouth Rice. Born on the lower East side of New
York City and considered the father of American Minstrelsy Theater in
the 1830’s.
Legend has it that Thomas, more popularly known as “Jim Crow Rice”
appeared in his sketch on a Cincinnati stage, where he was insistently
encored, until a small voice from the wings, whimpered “Gimme Bak Ma Clothes”
by the Black critic Sterling Brown. From this departure I shall
reinterpret and excavate, the notion of restoring and allowing Queer and
people of color, the true meaning of our own experiences, for our lives
have been deprived of significance by malicious portrayals and
slanderous misrepresentations of a thing called prejudging and
stereotypes.
This intervention and performance, will
include liturgical actions of sprinkling rice on the path of 14th
street "Lower East Side", in memory of “Jim Crow Rice” and his legacy… with
specific rituals of cleansing and blessing, which would include lime,
powder, rum, cinnamon etc.
welcoming a new day with the shouts “Gimme Bak Mah Clothes.”
Assisting performers: Rocheford Belizaire, Monaco Milan
Guest performer: Rory Golden-Painter
Act 1, Press preview, Underline Gallery, 238 W. 14th St, RSVP AiOPpr@gmail.com). Sept 22, 2011, 1:00pm
Act 2, Theater Lab, 137 west 14th Street, opening Ceremony Sept. 30, 2011pm 6-9pm, My performance@ 8pm Free!
Act 3, Oct 1, 2011, Union Square, 12pm, Title: Homage to Legba
Act 4, Oct 2, 2011 Title: 12:00 pm, Title: Keeper of the cemetery
Act 9 Oct 10, 2011 Hudson river and 14th Street, Title: Homage to River Mumma (Mother)
* multiple performances throughout the week Oct.1-10, 2011
