The Flea Premieres 'Seating Arrangements' with Danish Arts

Pold Worm Jensen - three experimental theater artists from Copenhagen, Denmark - in association with The Bats (The Flea's resident Acting Company) will premiere Seating Arrangements as part of the Danish arts initiative DaNY Arts. Inspired by "Babette's Feast", the short story by Danish writer Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) and the Academy Award winning film of the same name, this unique new work begins a limited engagement run beginning October 10 at The Flea Theater.

"Seating Arrangements takes place around a table, which in turn becomes an elaborate banquet, a forum for political debate, and a platform for personal discovery. Playing themselves, the Bats share their own stories: They rap about their difficulties with religion, they toast to gay rights, they make a stand on the war on drugs and the lack of public health insurance, all accompanied by an electric violin. It is a theatrical experiment about the wondrous and horrendous exchanges that take place around a table," explain press notes.

Though inspired by "Babette's Feast," the piece is a collage of personal stories created in collaboration between Pold Worm Jensen and eight diverse members of The Bats: Donal Brophy, Jane Elliot, Ben Horner, Max Jenkins, Jocelyn Kuritsky, Nana Mensah, Sylvia Mincewicz and Bobby Moreno.

Seating Arrangements runs October 10 - 27, Wednesday - Sunday at 7PM and Saturday matinees at 3PM.  (Note: There is no show October 11). The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street (between Broadway & Church Streets). Tickets are $20 - $25, available at 212-352-3101 or at www.theflea.org.  

Pold Worm Jensen: Director Erik Pold is one of the leading directors and choreographers of experimental theater and performance in Denmark. His work has also been seen in Athens, Stockholm, and Berlin (www.erikpold.dk). Designer Stine Worm Sorensen works in set design and performance concepts in genres including opera, contemporary dance and experimental theatre. Stine is currently working on the concept and set design for a Danish dance based on the philosophy of Niklas Luhmann (www.stinew.dk). Dramaturg Allan Richard Jensen has worked professionally since 2000 at major theaters in Copenhagen. Allan is also a playwright and has collaborated across the Atlantic.

DaNY Arts is a cooperative cultural initiative between artists and arts institutions in Denmark and New York. The aim of the project is to establish new connections, explore the process of artistic collaboration, and mutually benefit from each other's background and experience. DaNYArts is backed by $2 million in funding for 42 creative collaborations that will take place from 2006 through 2008. The focus of DaNY Arts is on the collaborative process itself. The Danish Arts Council and The Danish Arts Agency support DaNY Arts. The Danish Arts Council and the Danish Consulate General in New York administer DaNY Arts with the New York Foundation for the Arts as advisory partner.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 80 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include Anne Nelson's The Guys, four plays by A.R. Gurney (Post Mortem, O Jerusalem, Screenplay, and Mrs. Farnsworth), Mac Wellman's Cellophane and Two September, Elizabeth Swados' JABU, Karen Finley's Return of the Chocolate Smeared Woman, Yussef El Guindi's Back of the Throat, Joseph Goodrich's Smoke and Mirrors, and Julian Sheppard's Los Angeles.