Mimi Lien & Pig Iron's SUPERTERRANEAN to Run at The Philly Fringe

 

The world premiere of SUPERTERRANEAN by Tony Award winner and MacArthur Fellow Mimi Lien, and acclaimed Fringe veterans Pig Iron Theatre Company (A Period of Animate Existence, Pay Up, Welcome to Yuba City), directed by Dan Rothenberg, will run September 5 - 15, 2019 as part of the Philly Fringe Festival at 2300 Arena (2300 South Swanson Street).

SUPERTERRANEAN is a new work of visual theater driven by Lien's fascinations with urban infrastructure acting in concert with the human body. On the outskirts of an unknown city, massive structures emerge from the murk. Here, nine performers embody our hunger for permanence, our dreams of utopia, and the melancholy contemplation of our skin, our organs, and our deepest urges.

Mimi Lien says, "When I see a huge refinery, with its vast and intricate system of metal pipes, tanks, catwalks, I feel inexplicably emotional. Why do these structures evoke in my body such a deep-seated feeling of pleasure and despair?"

The cast includes Rolls Andre, Isaac Calvin, Evelyn Chen, Jenn Kidwell, Melissa Krodman, Chelsea Murphy, Tony Torn, Saori Tsukuda and Dito Van Reigersberg.

The production team includes Mimi Lien (Scenic Design), Barbara Samuels (Lighting Design), Lea Bertucci (Sound Design), Olivera Gajic (Costume Design), Rosie Herrera (Choreography), Shayna Strype (Puppet & Object Director), Noah Mease (Props Artisan), Colin McIlvaine (Associate Scenic Design), Geoff Manaugh (Dramaturg), Lisa Iacucci (Stage Manager) and Meiyin Wang (Creative Producer).

Performances are Thursday 9/5 at 7:30pm, Friday 9/6 at 7:30pm, Saturday 9/7 at 7:30pm, Sunday 9/8 at 2pm & 7:30pm, Tuesday 9/10 at 7:30pm, Wednesday 9/11 at 7:30pm, Thursday 9/12 at 7:30pm, Friday 9/13 at 7:30pm, Saturday 9/14 at 2pm & 7:30pm, and Sunday 9/15 at 2pm & 7:30pm. Tickets are $35 (general) and $15 (students + 25-and-under). Membership discounts available. Purchase at fringearts.com/event/superterranean or by calling the FringeArts box office at 215-413-1318. Wheelchair accessible. Running time is 90 minutes.

Geoff Manaugh will be hosting a panel conversation with academics, civil workers, and artists about urban systems that inspire pride and horror on September 7 at 5:30pm at 2300 Arena.

Lien will design a public art installation, entitled SECTION, VOID, in conjunction with the creation of the proscenium theater work SUPERTERRANEAN. Created in dialogue with author and curator Geoff Manaugh, this navigable structure will also premiere in Philadelphia from September 5 - 25. This artwork, free and open to the public at the Cherry Street Pier (121 North Columbus Blvd.), will act as a companion to the staged work, inviting audiences into the experience of built environments dictating human behavior. While there, visit the Little Baby's Ice Cream stand to try their new Tar flavored ice cream, created specifically for the installation.

 

Need more Philadelphia Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...