BALDWIN[GIOVANNI]BRANDO

Creator/Director

baldwin[GIOVANNI]brando is an immersive theatrical experience interrogating the way black bodies become mythologized-effectively removing the complexity and humanity of the lived experience in order to fit comfortably inside a heteronormative white social ideology. It is also an exploration of oppression and the complexities of normativity and otherness, by paying tribute to Baldwin’s work and his refusal to sit still.

Furthermore, it is a RE-membering of Baldwin through the collective consciousness of queer artists influenced by his work and live in his wake. The piece is a fractured and layered exploration of oppression and the struggle to connect through it. It’s a devised collaborative effort between two writers, two performers, Keenan and Baldwin’s writing. The piece explores Baldwin’s relationship with Marlon Brando, Lucien Happersberger and David and Giovanni, his characters by using the narrative of ‘Giovanni’s Room’ but centring Baldwin’s body inside of the narrative. 

Words: Jay Stull and Johnny G. Lloyd

Featuring: Nile Harris and Stephen Wattrus

Design: Keenan Oliphant

Sound Design: Jacob K. Robinson

Dramaturgy: Annie Wang

Stage Management: Megan Webb

Producer: Sami Pyne

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Studio @ Schapiro Columbia Unviersty

May 16-19 New York

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Photography: Annie Wang

wang-annie.com

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