Aristotle Thinks Again

This work continued a company June 2020 online workshop performance with Safer. GJR members were joined by guest performer Marcus McGregor to explore Greek tragedies, post apocalyptic possibilities, how awful people are, and how awesome it can be to exist on the planet.

Performed, co-created, and co-choreographed by maura nguyen donohue, John Maria Gutierrez, Valois Mickens, Kim Savarino and guest artist Marcus McGregor
Directed/choreographed by Dan Safer
Text by Chuck Mee
Original Music by Julia Kent
Lights by Jay Ryan
Set by Sara Brown
Costumes by Alicia Austin
Sound Design by Attilio Rigotti

GREAT JONES REPERTORY is an Obie-winning company known for their experimental productions of Greek tragedies and contemporary work that employ classical elements, unique visual design, performance styles, world music, and movement. Started in 1972 by Ellen Stewart, Andrei Serban, and Elizabeth Swados, Great Jones Rep is an inter-generational, culturally-diverse ensemble of artists, performers, designers, and musicians.

Dan Safer (choreographer/director/co-creator) is the artistic director of WR and has choreographed/directed all of their shows, all over the place, from the back rooms of bars in NYC to Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris to a giant leaky warehouse at a dance festival in Poland where a light fell off the grid halfway thru a show and almost killed him. Dan recently choreographed Jedermann, starring Lars Eidinger, at the Salzburg Festival in Austria and Ashley Tata’s Dom Juan at Bard SummerScape. His work has been at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace, Les Subsistances (Lyon, France), and many other places. In 2011, he choreographed Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring for Philadelphia Orchestra with Obie-winners Ridge Theater. Artforum Magazine called him “pure expressionistic danger” and Time Out NY called him “a purveyor of lo-fi mayhem.” He has choreographed fashion shows, music videos, and films, got kicked out of high school for a year, used to be a go-go dancer, was a member of Anhoni’s Blacklips Performance Cult in the 1990s, and once choreographed the Queen of Thailand’s Birthday Party. Dan taught at NYU for many years and is currently Dance faculty at MIT Theater Arts.

Chuck Mee grew up in Illinois, headed east, and graduated from Harvard College. Collaborations with Witness Relocation include Heaven On Earth, Eterniday, and Daily Life Everlasting, all of which had their world premieres at La MaMa. He has collaborated extensively with the SITI company, and has also written Vienna: Lusthaus, A Perfect Wedding, and a number of other plays in addition to his work inspired by Greek plays: Big Love, True Love, Trojan Women: A Love Story, and others. Among other awards, he has received the lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His complete works are available on the internet at charlesmee.org. His work is made possible by the support of Jeanne Donovan Fisher and Richard B. Fisher.

Aristotle Thinks Again is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for La MaMa Great Jones Rep’s Humanismo: Ancient Futures Series.

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