Lauren Baines
Choreographer | Curator | Catalyst
Curating & Producing History
The Memory Tax
September 12 – 21, 2013, at The American Theatre of Actors, 314 W 54th St, New York, NY
Memories aren’t something you keep, they’re something you become.
A young couple tries to build a future in a dystopian America, where memories are taken out of people’s minds and archived because there may not be a tomorrow. Featuring film, live projections, and an original underscore, The Memory Tax explores whether a family can survive in a dying world.
In 2013, I was part of an amazing team that staged the first Equity Showcase of an original play, The Memory Tax, by Chad Eschman. Produced off-Broadway at the Chernuchin Theatre (in The American Theatre of Actors complex), the production featured original music by composer and interactive projection technology, building upon staged readings and previous workshopping Eschman's play had undergone through Cardboard Box Theatre Project, Northwestern Univeristy, and the MFA Playwrights Workshop 2013 at NNPN/The Kennedy Center.
This showcase was produced by Chad Eschman, myself, and Matthew Johns. It was directed by Emily Campbell Berezowsky, in collaboration with John Michael DiResta. The cast featured Anthony Comis, Timur Kocak, Grace Rex, and Lenore Wolf. Set Design: Devin Bertsch, Lighting Design: Matthew Johns, Costume Design: Miodrag Guberinic, Original Score: Scotty Arnold, Fight Choreography: Seth Andrew Bridges, Assistant Director: Anna Marr, Assistant Stage Manager: Valentina Martinelli.
The production was covered by the San Jose Mercury News. Article here
Breaking Surfaces by Jeannine Charles/ArtistEDGE
July 20, 2012 at Montalvo Art Center's Rock the Garden: Sculpture on the Grounds Opening Celebration
In 2012, Lucas Artists Residency Fellow Daniel Canogar premiered his interactive video projection Asalto Montalvo on the historic Villa.
I worked with Curator Donna Conwell and Director of the Lucas Artists Residency Program Kelly Sicat In the planning for the opening celebration and Canogar's premiere. I suggested a dance performance be commissioned to begin the activation of Asalto Montalvo and the green screen that would then open to the public. The idea was accepted by the curatorial team and Canogar and I invited choreographer Jeannine Charles to propose a work for this activation.
The resulting dance performance, "Breaking Surfaces" featured dancers Zann Aeck, Virginia Bock, Jeannine Charles, and Barbara Susco who began on the front steps of the Villa and danced to the Front Lawn where the. After the performance, the public will be invited to participate in Asalto Montalvo by appearing in front of a greenscreen and having their performance projected on the Villa (see the video to the right). NOTE: wear bright clothes (no green or black) if you want to participate.