The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ 2019-20 season kicks off with a theatrical retelling of a verbatim FBI transcript—and only heats up from there.
New York-based Playwright Tina Satter and theater ensemble Half Straddle produce “Is This a Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription,” the season opener for 2019-20 at Annenberg, presented as part of the 2019 Fringe Festival. The piece, which will open on Sept. 13, tells the story of 25-year-old Reality Winner, an Air Force linguist whose home was raided in 2017 under suspicion of Winner leaking evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The transcript is of her arrest and subsequent interrogation.
“Tina is a phenomenal theater-maker,” says Chris Gruits, executive and artistic director of Annenberg. “She’s doing interesting and timely work, what with the current focus on access to information and the history of government leaks. What’s fascinating is that she’s created a piece of theater out of a verbatim transcript of an actual event.”
Continuing this season is the Philadelphians Migrations series. While the 2018-19 season explored the stories of English colonials and slaves who were forced to migrate to America—two groups that built Philadelphia—the new season will fast-forward the focus to a different group.
“For the second year, we wanted to turn the lens on the present and look at migrants who are shaping Philadelphia today,” Gruits explains. “The city’s biggest immigrant group is Mexican Americans, and we’re looking forward to this opportunity to explore and share their contributions to Philadelphia’s cultural landscape.”
Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lila Downs, born in Oaxaca, Mexico, is this season’s artist-in-residence. In addition to workshops and outreach activities on campus during the academic year, Downs will perform on May 1, 2020, and she will curate performances by Jarana Beat, on May 2, and dance troupe Tania Perez-Salas Compania de Danza on May 29-30.
Most recognizable among Annenberg’s 2019-20 lineup is a three-week string of performances of Philip Glass’ work, dubbed #GLASSFEST. The festival includes The Crossing choir performing “Knee Plays” by Philip Glass and David Byrne, on Feb. 21-22; the Philadelphia premiere of Glass’ work “Music in Twelve Parts,” on Feb. 29; a performance of “Glass Reflections” with Jenny Lin at Penn Museum on March 5; and, finally, the world premiere of “The White Lama: The Improbable Legacy of Theos Bernard” on March 13-14, featuring a score performed by Glass.
Key to the story of Glass is, in fact, Annenberg: the performing arts center presented the composer with the Philip Glass Ensemble several times in the 1990s, and Glass was a guest performer for Annenberg’s 25th anniversary.
“Philip Glass has a long history with Annenberg, we championed him and really familiarized him to Philadelphia audiences. He’s at an age where his work and his contributions to 20th-century music are being celebrated,” Gruits says. “So, we wanted to look at him comprehensively and collaborate with the Penn Music Department to provide an opportunity for students to be exposed to [his] works.”
Other residencies this year are with The Crossing choir, which will perform three times, including “The Crossing @ Christmas” featuring a world premiere by composer Edie Hill; and Penn’s quartet-in-residence, Daedalus Quartet, which will perform two concerts—one an arrangement of traditional African-American spirituals.
Additional programming includes more of the center’s reliably robust jazz offerings with a Christmas performance by five-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves, and a performance by pianist and composer Hiromi, who rescheduled last season’s performance after becoming pregnant and suspending her tour.
Meanwhile, world music star Angelique Kidjo, a three-time Grammy Award winner, blends the sounds of West Africa with R&B, funk, and jazz through a performance co-presented with World Café Live in February.
MOMIX will round out the season, with a June 2020 U.S. premiere of “Alice,” a dance piece that plays on the deceptive nature of Wonderland. That performance is in addition to a number of other dance ensembles presented in partnership with NextMove Dance, among them one that celebrates poet and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and, in a performance by PHILADANCO, one that celebrates Christmas with humor.
“One of Annenberg’s roles is to present artists not otherwise seen in Philadelphia,” Gruits says. “That promotes cross-cultural understanding and takes our audiences on a global journey that allows them to understand different cultures and art forms.”
The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts full list of performances for its 2019-20 season—its 48th— is viewable here. Annenberg will also host the Philadelphia Children’s Festival on May 2-4, 2019.
