Photo Flash: First Production Photos of THE WINDOW

We have a sneak peek of THE WINDOW below!

For The Window, U.S.-based Romanian stage designers have been invited to redesign RCINY’s Third Avenue storefront gallery space, and acclaimed U.S. playwrights to write new plays for this re-imaginEd Gallery. In this project the space dictates the shape of the performance as opposed to the normal order of operations where the nature of the play determines the set. Different teams of stage designers and playwrights will work together for each run of the project.

The first production of The Window, slated for April 2 through 8, pairs Obie Award winners, playwright Samuel D. Hunter (A Bright New Boise) with scenic designer Nic Ularu. Ularu will transform RCINY’s storefront bookshop into another world. Then, Hunter will write a 20-minute play inspired by the reimagining of the space and with the constraint that the text may not be heard by the audience, who will be on the other side of the window from the performers. In May, stage designer Daniela Codarcea Kamiliotis will team with Romanian-American playwright Saviana St?nescu to create a new installation of The Window.

The Window breaks the classic convention of the theatregoer buying a ticket, entering the theatre and just seeing a show. This time, the audience members are in control and decide how long to watch the performance. Pedestrians may view the piece as a “living window” for a few moments, in a quick flash or in its entirety. The Window is RCINY’s first foray into site-specific theater, continuing its support for innovative approaches to emerging art. “Using the window space of the RCINY Gallery for a creative laboratory-like experience, involving Romanian and American artists, is part of our ambition to be a living part of New York City,” says RCINY Director, Corina ?uteu.

M?rgineanu has broad experience in directing shows that offer audiences unforgettable, immersive experiences, in Romania, Mexico and New York. She recently finished the second installation of the Hotel Project, a site-specific international collaboration set in a hotel and performed for one spectator at a time.

“I am thrilled to re-envision the storefront window at the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, and foster an unexpected theatrical experience for New Yorkers,” says M?rgineanu. “Samuel D. Hunter, Nic Ularu, Daniela Codarcea Kamiliotis, and Saviana St?nescu are extraordinary artists who will bring a beautiful and unique vision to The Window.”

The first installation of The Window will run April 2 through 8, 2012, every 20 minutes between 7:30 and 10:00 pm in the storefront window of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York (573 – 577 Third Avenue, at 38th Street; Subway: 6 to 42nd/Grand Central). All performances are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.icrny.org.

The production team also includes Melanie S. Armer (choreography), Christopher Weston (lighting design), Igor Molochevski (video projections) and Patricia Masera (assistant director). The cast includes Jake Roa, Calaine Schafer, Jessie Komitor and Face Yu.

Jake Roa

Calaine Schafer and Jessie Komitor

Calaine Schafer and Jake Roa

Caiaine Schafer and Jake Roa

Calaine Schafer