Texas Theatre And Dance Presents IN THE ETHER By Erica Gionfriddo

Texas Theatre and Dance presents Erica Gionfriddo's In the Ether, streaming December 2-6, 2020 as part of the Texas Theatre and Dance 2020/2021 Season. An investigation of embodiment and our virtual identity, In the Ether is a staged rehearsal of possible cyborg realities. Utilizing live streaming, emergent technologies and performance, In the Ether explores elements of cyborg and queer theories by challenging our core notions of perception and existence in a cybernetic world.

In the Ether is an iteration of The Ether series, created by Erica Gionfriddo (ARCOS), that has been evolving through performances across the U.S. since 2016. "The work of deconstructing a boundary begins with examining how it was constructed," shares Gionfriddo. "The borders that keep us distinct from each other and parts of ourselves separate are too often built by systems tied to oppression. Boundaries constructed in this way tell us anything 'other' is bad, wrong, dangerous... And so, we conform to those externally placed borders, expending energy maintaining them until we can't imagine existing without them."

"The word "cyborg" might seem a perfect way to describe this moment of global isolation and daily life being carried out over Zoom," says Gionfriddo. "And you'd be right to say that you are already a cyborg. A hybrid creature with fluid boundaries, existing in a world where reality and virtuality are no longer distinct. But this would only be a beginning..." By advocating for expansive definitions of both body and technology, participants and spectators are invited to imagine their sense of self beyond their dominant reality and embrace the pleasurable confusion of the multiplicity of realities we are capable of co-creating.

Erica Gionfriddo is a dance artist, educator and somatic researcher who believes in the intelligent body each of us occupies. They are co-founder of ARCOS Dance (acrosdance.com), whose ongoing inquiry probes the intersection of technology and humanity through rigorous interdisciplinary experimentation. Gionfriddo's extensive experience as a GYROKINESIS and GYROTONIC trainer guides their pedagogical methodology, which they bring in their capacity as lecturer in dance at The University of Texas at Austin and as an international teaching artist. Gionfriddo holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Shenandoah Conservatory and is currently an M.F.A. candidate at Hollins University.

The production team for In the Ether includes: Leah Benaim (Stage Manager), Leon Cai (Web Developer), Sara Chaney (Lighting Designer), Jackson Cobb (Media Designer), Georgina Garza (Web Developer), Erica Gionfriddo (Artistic Director), Kalee Sue Gore (Production Coordinator), Inji Ha (Scenic Designer), Harrison Hayes (Scenic Designer), Libby Jantz (Lighting Designer), Ashton Bennett Murphy (Technical Director), Benjamin Randall (Media Designer), Bill Rios (Lighting Designer) and Lindsey Thurston (Costume Designer).

For more information about In the Ether, please visit JoinTheDrama.org.

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