A.R.T. Announces February / March OBERON Programming

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University announces February and March 2019 programming at OBERON, its club-style theater space for cutting-edge performance and a thriving incubator for local and emerging artists. Upcoming events include A.R.T Breakout, Live @ OBERON, and Afterglow @ OBERON series, A.R.T. presentations, and independently produced events.

OBERON is located at 2 Arrow Street at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Tickets are available online at americanrepertorytheater.org, by phone at 617.547.8300, in person at the Loeb Drama Center Ticket Services Offices (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge), and 30 minutes before curtain at OBERON. Prices vary per event. A.R.T. subscribers and members receive discounts to A.R.T. Breakout, Live @ OBERON, and Afterglow @ OBERON series productions, as well as The Donkey Show.

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ANTHEM: AN EVENING WITH JUSTICE AMEER AND CHRYSANTHEMUM TRAN

A.R.T. Breakout

Friday, February 8 at 8PM

Saturday, February 9 at 7PM

Tickets from $25

ANTHEM is a debut two-woman show featuring Justice Ameer and Chrysanthemum Tran, esteemed Rhode Island-based poets and performers. From praise songs to war cries to bops you can't help but dance to, anthems have long been the heartbeat of political liberation. The hour-long poetry performance ANTHEM explores how race and gender politics shape reality for transgender women of color. An indictment of a nation determined to police freedom and livelihood yet rallying declaration of our militant survival, ANTHEM reveals the lasting legacies of trans women who fought before us and celebrates the communities for whom joy is too often an afterthought. Our voices and our fists are raised. ANTHEM is unapologetic in saying: in the shadow of a world that wants us dead, we will not go down with a fight. We will survive. ANTHEM will be supported by the pedal looping stylings of Sweetpea Pumpkin (Muggs Fogarty), the vocals of Andrine Pierresaint, and the piano/keyboard accompaniment of Simon Olsen. Featured guest poets include Golden, Ilyus Evander, and Lin Pang (Friday), Julissa Emile, Mae Verano, and Torrin Greathouse (Saturday).

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UNITED COLORS OF BURLESQUE - BLACK IN LOVE: THE AFROSENSUAL EXPERIENCE

Sunday, February 10 at 7:30PM

Tickets from $15

United Colors of Burlesque features Boston's premiere performers of color. Through evocative pieces, artists raise awareness of their personal responses to the social and/or political issues affecting our world today. Each performance celebrates the beautiful differences of race, gender, and culture, painting a picture of our diverse community. Start the year and celebrate Black History Month with some black love at UCOB's Black In Love: A Sensual Experience. Let's celebrate the joy of black love and the sexiness of black erotica.

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THE STORY COLLIDER

Tuesday, February 12 at 7:30PM

Tickets $12

From finding awe in Hubble images to visiting the doctor, science is everywhere in our lives. Whether we wear a white lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since eighth grade, science affects and changes us. We all have a story about science, and at The Story Collider we want to hear those stories.

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MORTIFIED

Thursday, February 14 at 7PM

Saturday, February 16 at 7PM

Tickets $15

Hailed as a "cultural phenomenon" by Newsweek and celebrated for years by the likes of This American Life, The Today Show, The A.V. Club, and Entertainment Weekly, Mortified is a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, poems, letters, lyrics, home movies, schoolwork) as shared by their original authors - in front of total strangers. Want more Mortified? Listen to The Mortified Podcast in between live events.

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OLD SCHOOL GAME SHOW'S VALENTINE'S SPECIAL

Friday, February 15 at 8PM

Tickets from $20

Hey there, bump and grind valentines! Turn off the lights, light a candle, and get ready for Old School Game Show's Valentine's Special! Our Danielle Steele-approved pop culture trivia romance special features the hilarious Old School Game Show cast, baby-making music from our celebrity musical guest, and the magical comedic stylings of our guest comedian, Sean Sullivan!! Plus, the slow jam grooves of The Swinging Old School Game Show House Band, fabulous prizes from amazing local sponsors, surprise guests, and a brand-new smooth-as-silk pajamas dance routine from the Cubic Zirconia Dancers!

Old School Game Show is a live interactive theater experience done with all the pageantry and analog style of a 1970s television game show. The show combines elements of pub trivia, variety specials, and comedy sketches to produce a completely unique trivia event. It's all the fun of an afternoon spent rolling around in the rumpus room-without the rug burn.

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PALESTINIANS, LIVE!

Sunday, February 17 at 4:30PM and 8PM

Tickets from $13

Palestinians, Live! is an evening of true and compelling stories told by Palestinians from all over the world, live on stage and in their own words. These stories, all told in English, are based on real life experiences and involve universal themes of love, loss, identity, and overcoming adversity. Come enjoy authentic Palestinian voices and a drink in a cabaret setting for a unique and memorable evening! Palestinians, Live! is co-presented by Palestinians Podcast and the Boston Palestine Film Festival, which celebrates its thirteenth season October 2019 at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and other venues throughout the city.

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RESISTANCE MIC!

Tuesday, February 19 at 8PM

Tickets $10

The 2016 election inspired a broad-based Resistance not seen in the United States in decades. People from all walks of life have been protesting, marching, mobilizing, and organizing in an effort to take back the country and create a more compassionate and just world. Artists are vital to this work. This spring, the American Repertory Theater, in collaboration with the literary magazine Pangyrus, welcomes the second season of Resistance Mic!, a series of intimate, curated evenings where a diverse collective of artists will take the stage to perform truth to power in these troubled times. Featured artists on February 19 include Anne Bernays, Carissa Halston, Sienna Leis, Randolph Pfaff, Enzo Silon Surin, Jimmy Tingle, and Javier Zamora.

Launched on November 9, 2017-the one-year anniversary of the day after the 2016 election-Resistance Mic! is part of the A.R.T. of Human Rights series, an ongoing collaboration between the American Repertory Theater and Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. The host is Timothy Patrick McCarthy.

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Desiree Burch: UNF*CKABLE

Afterglow @ OBERON

Thursday, February 21 at 8PM

Tickets $25

In this stand-up performance, virtuoso comedian and storyteller Desiree Burch examines sex, sex work, and how to prevent sex from becoming work. Desiree goes from virgin to dominatrix in New York City, finding insights into race, sex and capitalism, and applying them with razor-sharp wit and unabashed curiosity to the personal and professional spaces that often prove even more complicated to navigate. Called "a comedian deservedly on the rise" by The Guardian, Burch is the winner of the 2015 Funny Women Stage Award and host of the upcoming Netflix gameshow "Flinch."

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HOUSEBOI WITH ANDRO GIN

Friday, February 22 at 10PM

Tickets $10

Houseboi celebrates dance floor freedom, bringing together glittering and experimental drag performers with cutting-edge DJs who are helping to cultivate modern queer dance scenes in cities around the world. Houseboi prioritizes booking DJs and performers who are trans*, queer, non-binary, women, and people of color. Residents' Night will feature music from DJs Lunamariposa, Pussywillow, and Math3ca, along with mind-expanding drag and burlesque performances from Sham Payne, Violencia, Qya Cristal, Lucky Charming, and special guest Andro Gin! Creative attire encouraged - everyone welcome!

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WITCHES, BITCHES, AND DIVAS!

Saturday, February 23 at 7PM

Tickets $25

Performer and creator Christina Pecce teams up with music director Steve Bass and his band to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Witches, Bitches, and Divas! Deemed "truly spellbinding" by NiteLife Exchange, it has been seen on the stages of Feinstein's/54 Below in NYC, Club Café in Boston, and The Den Theatre in Chicago among others. Songs from your favorite standards, musicals, and operas are given a fresh spin to keep you enchanted and bewildered. This is a night of cross-over comedy you do NOT want to miss. Celebrate iconic roles, both onstage and off, but beware...this program is sure to put a spell on you!

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GET YOU A BABE WHO CAN DO BOTH

Sunday, February 24 at 8PM

Tickets from $20

Showcasing the dynamic nature of burlesque performers by combining lightning talks and live burlesque-by the same people-Get You A Babe Who Can Do Both sets out to prove that you can be both a sexual object and an intellectual. After reaching monumental success in Philadelphia and Boston, this recurring series offers an educational, raucous night celebrating babes who #DoBoth.

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THE MOTH

Tuesday, February 26 at 8PM (tickets available February 19 at 3PM)

Sunday, March 3 at 8PM (tickets available February 27 at 3PM)

Tickets from $15

The Moth StorySLAMs are steadily spreading all over the map, gathering people and stories from all over the country. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston have multiple shows each month. The Moth is open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the night's posted theme. The brave of heart, or those with stories they're aching to tell, prepare personal, true tales. When the doors open, storyteller hopefuls put their names in The Moth Hat. A half hour later, names are picked, and one by one, storytellers take the stage. Each person has just five minutes! The ten featured stories are scored by teams of judges selected from the audience. Each StorySLAM generates a StorySLAM winner. After ten SLAMs, the winners face off in our GrandSLAM Championships. Come sign up to tell a story, or just enjoy the show!

February 26 theme is Flight. Prepare a five-minute story about flying high or flying solo, running from confrontation or soaring straight for it like a kamikaze. Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's you.

March 3 theme is Blame. Prepare a five-minute story about being left holding the bag. Taking the fall, feeling the heat. Your honor impugned, your good name sullied! Scolded, accused or rebuked! Share stories of pointing the finger, naming names, squealing. Getting over your guilt by passing along the blame or, confessing all. Mea Culpa, but the devil made me do it.

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DIETRICH STRAUSE

Live @ OBERON

Friday, March 1 at 8:30PM

Tickets from $15

Dietrich Strause's songs are a mix of timeless melody, literate lyricism, and a "virtuosic command of imagery" (WBUR The ARTery). Strause's 2016 albums-How Cruel That Hunger Bind and Dietrich Strause & The Blue Ribbons-established him as one of the most prolific and eclectic writers and performers in New England. His blend of midcentury modern pop and atomic-age folk, backed by an all-star band, has drawn comparisons to M. Ward and a young Paul Simon, and has garnered him invitations to support folk luminaries including Anaïs Mitchell and Sarah Jarosz and indie pop acts including Great Lake Swimmers and Lake Street Dive. More information at dietrichstrause.com.

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CARNEVALE DI OSCURITÀ

Thursday, March 7 at 7:30PM

Tickets from $50

Join us for a spectacular variety show event with a teeming interactive storyline hiding just under the surface, all themed after the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

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UNLEASH THE PEACH: A QUEER VARIETY SHOW & DANCE PARTY

Friday, March 8 at 10:45PM

Tickets from $12

Unleash The Peach: A Queer Variety Show & Dance Party stars some of Boston's premiere LGBTI talent, including dance troupe Phunk Snap, drag performers Qya Cristal and Anya Nuttz, live hip-hop artist Kweeng Doll, and DJs FrenchY & Begbick. Our hostess, Boston's legendary Mizery, and our host, the current reigning Mr. Boston Bear 2019, will be inviting patrons to join them on stage to twerk for a $100 cash prize. This event is co-produced by Men of Melanin Magic, an organization that produces exciting events for queer and trans people of color (with a focus on queer and trans men of color) in the Boston area. menofmelaninmagic.com.

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SALOME: WOMAN OF VALOR

Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30PM

Tickets from $15

Innovative, transformative and daring, Salomé: Woman of Valor is the culmination of five years of work by Grammy Award-winning composer/trumpeter Frank London and celebrated poet/performer Adeena Karasick. This "spoken word opera" presented by the Jewish Arts Collaborative features live music, poetry, dance, and video, that refute misogynistic and anti-Semitic interpretations of Salomé and recaptures her rightful place as a powerful revolutionary matriarch.

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THE BEARDED LADIES CABARET: John Jarboe AS MX. ROGERS IN A MUSICAL HEALING RITUAL FOR ADULTS: YOU CAN NEVER GO DOWN THE DRAIN

Afterglow @ OBERON

Thursday, March 14 at 8PM

Tickets $25

Mr. Rogers always said: no matter how bad things are "you can never go down the drain." Using and abusing iconic songs from the program, Philadelphia's Bearded Ladies Cabaret put this idea to the test. In this performance, expect a goldfish funeral, gay romps into the land of make-believe, and some earnest questions about irony.

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ACOUSTICAELECTRONICA

Friday, March 15 at 9:30PM

Saturday, March 16 at 10:30PM

Tickets from $25

Welcome into the world of AcousticaElectronica: a 360-degree sensory adventure. From epic performances to intimate experiences, this night will awaken your heart and mind. It is a mashup of opposites: the classical and the electronic, the light and the dark, a trip to the theatre and a night on the dance floor. Come discover at this theatrical roller coaster filled with heart-pounding live music,

contagious choreography, breathtaking aerialists, and an unforgettable night ending with a dance party.

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Sara Porkalob'S DRAGON CYCLE

A.R.T. Breakout

Wednesday, March 20 - Saturday, April 6 at various times

Tickets from $35

Created and Performed by Sara Porkalob

Directed by Andrew Russell

After a run at OBERON in the spring of 2018, virtuosic performer Sara Porkalob returns with Dragon Lady, and also turns her attention to another chapter of her family's history with Dragon Mama, the second piece in her Dragon Cycle.

Dragon Lady-Return Engagement

March 20 - April 6

It is the year of the Water Dragon and the eve of Grandma Maria's 60th birthday. By the light of the karaoke machine, fueled by pork dumplings and Diet Pepsi, she shares a dark secret from her Filipino gangster past with one lucky grandchild. Traversing 50 years of faulty family memories, Seattle-based performer Sara Porkalob returns to share this timely new musical about what it means to come to America.

Dragon Mama

March 28 - April 6

How does a Dragon earn her wings? Maria Porkalob, Jr. yearns for a gayer, more POC-filled life than Bremerton, Washington can offer. When presented with an opportunity to make a quick fortune, Maria must make an important decision: leave her debt-ridden mother, four young siblings, and newborn daughter for the wild unknown of Alaska, or stay close to home, family, and intergenerational trauma. The second play in her Dragon Cycle, Sara Porkalob's new solo show journeys through 25 years of her mother's life filled with queer love in a barren land, a dope 90s R&B soundtrack, and Filipino gangsters. This is Dragon Mama.

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THE DONKEY SHOW

The Long-Running Hit

Presented by A.R.T.

Every Saturday night

Tickets from $25

Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus' celebrated smash hit continues its tenth season at OBERON every Saturday night, bringing you the ultimate disco experience-a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, of roller skaters and hustle queens inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The party rages on the dance floor to all the best '70s hits as the show unfolds around the audience. After the show, the party continues into the night so you can live out your own disco fever fantasy!

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OBERON is the American Repertory Theater's club theater space for cutting-edge performance, a thriving incubator for local and emerging artists pushing the theatrical form, and host to some of A.R.T.'s most boundary-breaking productions. It has attracted national attention for its innovative programming and business models. Thousands of artists and performance groups bring work to the space each year.

ABOUT AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

American Repertory Theater at Harvard University (A.R.T.) is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Artistic Director in 2008. Under the leadership of Paulus as the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director and Executive Producer Diane Borger, A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.