PROCESS
Art + Science + Philosophy
From the tiny sparks of imagination to the full scale productions, our process is centered on a foundation of meticulous artistic practice that includes deep research into scientific subjects and strong roots in fundamental philosophies.
Differences between the culture, lifestyle, daily rhythm, and tempo of Europe had a profound influence on the beginning preoccupations with Time that influenced CAC's "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension," by Simone Tetrault.
Art at the Louvre, including the Antonio Canova sculpture "Cupid's Kiss"pictured here, were influential in developing the last movement (Endure) of "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" which explores the lives of objects and architectures that outlive their creators.
Graffiti in the streets of Brussels serve as a reminder to the artist- never stop searching for inspiration.
A view of the Manhattan skyline at dusk on a fall day is the perfect setting for an evening writing session to develop new work.
Even once the play has been written, what happens in rehearsal can bring new ideas and changes to the script. Here, Simone makes edits to "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" with the help of an iced coffee.
Experimentation is always part of the creative process. During a curated evening at NYU Tisch, Fiamma Piacentini and Pricilla Gomez improvise a dance based on a philosophical preoccupation with agency during CAC's June 2016 "Salon."
The original cast of "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" gathers in July 2015 for the first rehearsal. Once we've cast a show, the, CAC brings in the group for a read through of the script during the first rehearsal. This helps actors understand how they fit into the big picture, including what kinds of underlying philosophy, music, and scenic design we are bringing in to create the foundation for the abstract worlds of the piece.
When working on a new script, we often workshop pieces in progress to see what the material looks like and develop it further. This helps our writers, composers, designers, and other collaborators to clarify the overall direction of the new work.
In the last week of rehearsals leading up to the premiere of "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" actors worked on fine tuning each moment and continuing to build group synergy.
Developement Workshop: August 2015
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Symphony of the Fourth Dimension began as a movement workshop with text (excerpt below), and was subsequently developed into a full-length play. Learn more about our productions below.
PRODUCTIONS
SYMPHONY OF THE FOURTH DIMENSION
From the streets of New York City, to the mystical world of lucid dreams, from the site of a supernova billions of light-years away, to the silent death of an ancient civilization, audiences of Symphony of the Fourth Dimension are led by a precocious middle schooler on a quest through the universe to find an answer to the age-old question: What is Time?
2015 production stills from premiere run at Access Theater, Soho NYC
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Left to right: Photon (Priscilla Gomez) Sybil (Alyssa Fuhrman)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Left to right: Small Child (Sydney Chan), Young Woman (Nicole Chaffin), Young Scientist (Maya Ruth)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Odessa (Cadence Rotarius)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Left to right: Photon (Ariel Miles), Photon (Priscilla Gomez), Celeste (Madeline Bugeau-Heartt), Photon (Evelyn Dumont), Photon (Nicole Chaffin)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Front row: Young Woman (Nicole Chaffin), Small Child (Cadence Rotarius)
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Ensemble left to right: Alyssa Fuhrman, Madeline Bugeau-Heartt, Ariel Miles
Premiere run at Access Theater (October 2015) Ensemble left to right: Priscilla Gomez, Madeline Bugeau-Heartt, Nicole Chaffin, Evelyn Dumont, Ariel Miles, Alyssa Fuhrman
Following the summer 2014 development workshops, writer and director Simone Tetrault was awarded the Sci-Art Center of New York's 2015 Biomeditation development grant for the use of motion-sensor technology integration in Symphony of the Fourth Dimension.
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On October 1, 2015 Symphony of the Fourth Dimension premiered at Access Theater's Gallery Space with a cast of 9. The play was well received and enjoyed a sold-out run!
2016 production stills from festival run at FIGMENT Project NYC (Governor's Island)
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016 Small Child (Sydney Chan)
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016 Young Woman (Nicole Chaffin)
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016 Left to right: Young Woman (Nicole Chaffin), Old Woman (Katya Golovina)
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016 Clock set piece.
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016
FIGMENT Project NYC Governor's Island June 2016 Lois (Priscilla Gomez)
Symphony of the Fourth Dimension went on to be performed as part of FIGMENT North Adams festival in April 2016 and FIGMENT Project NYC on Governor's Island in June 2016.
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These performances have been made possible by in part by CAC's private donors as well as generous space grants from 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
An old woman suffers from dementia. A young stroke victim struggles to make language. A transgender woman claims her new identity. All three find themselves in a strange new world. 'Alice' appears in many forms, but when she/they encounter her/their new reflections in the world of Through the Looking Glass, each Alice must choose how to reconcile her/their life-changing experiences with a sense of identity and what that means for their future.
2016 stills from Summer Fieldwork development program through The Field NYC
Lizi Myers (left), Fiamma Piacentini (center), Kathleen Donachie (right) rehearse scenes from "Through the Looking Glass" at Spaceworks LIC as part of the summer 2016 Adopt-an-Artist program
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October 2016 Workshop performance at The Clearing in Buzzard's Bay, MA
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Workshopping "Through the Looking Glass" at TheaterLab as part of the 2016 Summer Fieldwork program through The Field NYC
Go to linkThrough the Looking Glass is a fiscally sponsored project through Fractured Atlas that has been developed through the The Field NYC's Fieldwork program and Spaceworks Long Island City's Adopt-an-Artist program. The production will premiere at The Clearing in Buzzards Bay, MA on October 22, 2016.
Behind the scenes with Instagram! @centrifugearts
Each participant at FIGMENT North Adams 2016 received these motivational magnets! CAC performed "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" for audiences in an outdoor space overlooking Lake Windsor in Massachusetts.
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Writer and director Simone Tetrault helping set the stage for "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" in North Adams, MA for FIGMENT festival (April 2016).
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Collage of production stills from "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension" at festival run of FIGMENT Project NYC on Governor's Island (June 2016).
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Actors Tom DiFeo (left), Kathleen Donachie (center), and Lizi Myers (right) in rehearsal for "Through the Looking Glass"
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Kathleen Donachie (left), Fiamma Piacentini (center), and Lizi Myers (right) during a workshop of "Through the Looking Glass" at TheaterLab with The Field NYC
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Director and cast post-show on the sold-out opening night of "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension"during the play's premiere run at Access Theater in Soho. Left to right: Simone Tetrault, Alyssa Fuhrman, Priscilla Gomez, Sydney Chan, Evelyn Dumont, Cadence Rotarius, Maya Ruth, Nicole Chaffin, Ariel Miles, Madeline Bugeau-Heartt (October 4, 2015).
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Sybil (Katya Golovina), a celestial body, dances with a photon particle (Pricilla Gomez) while in rehearsal for the FIGMENT Project NYC production of "Symphony of the Fourth Dimension"on Governor's Island (taken May 2016) Space grant courtesy of NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
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Clock set piece from "Symphony of the Fouth Dimension" festival run at FIGMENT Project NYC on Governor's Island (June 2016).
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Artists Madeline Bugeau-Heartt (top left), Evelyn Dumont (top right), and Rich Johnson (bottom) during CAC's first "Salon: a space for practice-based research and idea exchange" held at Spaceworks, LIC (Spring 2016).
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