THE LISTENING LAB LIVESTREAM!
Trusty SidekicK PRESENTS
“THE LISTENING LAB”
Nov 13 @ 2:00Pm
Nov 14 @ 2:00Pm: IN PERSON + LIVESTREAM
Astoria Performing Arts Center
Long Island City, Queens NY
Join us for an afternoon of immersive auditory exploration featuring SHSH, a secret group of sound scientists who will lead us on a hunt for historic sonic specimens, and a live reading of SOUP, a brand new interactive podcast for young people. Reserve your free tickets for this community event celebrating sound!
Recommended for ages 5+ . Run time approximately 2 hours.
For everyone’s safety, please review our COVID-19 policies for in person attendance.
Nick Ong as Sandy & Arielle Lever as Pearl. Photo: Hyphen Photography
ABOUT S.O.U.P.
By combining inquiry based learning with imaginative play, the S.O.U.P. podcast uses guided audio adventures to promote young people’s deep engagement with their environments. Season One launches this fall!
During moments of great change, humanity has the potential to create a brighter future, but how does one power such a change? Enter: S.O.U.P. -- The Surveyors of Unused Potential -- a semi-secret conglomerate of scientists and inventors, headquartered in NYC, who locate and harvest a precious but invisible resource, Potential Energy. The cleanest, greenest, energy source, Potential Energy powers ideas, innovation, and creativity. It’s all around us, if you just know how to recognize it! Humanity is at a crossroads, and for the first time in its history, S.O.U.P. is recruiting outside the company in order to broaden their search for Potential Energy Hotspots and share access to this resource like never before. Will you join up and help “Fuel the Future, Together”?
S.O.U.P ‘s on - THE LISTENING LAB
Celebrate the launch of S.O.U.P. by completing “Slurper Training” and surveying your first site at The Listening Lab!
MEET THE TEAM
Leigh Poulos (she/her) is an actor, writer, and educator with over 10 years experience with young people, both on stage and in the classroom, with some of NYC’s top arts and cultural institutions. Her multidisciplinary background has found her collaborating with an archeologist to create interactive gallery tours of Ancient Greek artifacts, adapting kids’ stories into musical sketch comedy on the award winning Story Pirates podcast, directing an immersive theatrical experience for families based on NYC’s historic 1965 blackout, and more! Leigh believes in creating art for all and fostering self-belief and independent thinking in the next generation of citizens.
Emily Bruner (she/her) is a Teaching Artist, Museum Educator and Theatre Maker who strives to create at the intersection of art & accessibility. She earned her MA in Educational Theatre from New York University and works with Lincoln Center, the New-York Historical Society, Park Avenue Armory, and CO/LAB Theater Group. Emily is also a passionate company member of Trusty Sidekick Theater Company and Bluelaces Theater Company with whom she devises original and immersive theatrical experiences for young people and their loved ones. She believes in the power of sensory joy and thinks that sometimes, “the best stuff happens when you’re off schedule”.
Nick Ong as Sandy: finds comfort and inspiration in facts, data, and certainty. Distrustful of face to face social situations (too many unknowns!), from a young age, Sandy embraced science and technology, focusing on evidence based observation, problem solving, and getting to the bottom of things! Computers never hurt your feelings... In no particular order (which would drive Sandy crazy), some things he loves are rules, procedures, lists, organization, traditions, vocabulary words, answers, specialized equipment, routine, details, clarity, formulas, gadgets, close looking, good hygiene, goals, direct flights, and spreadsheets. Sandy idolizes F.M. Watts.
Arielle Lever as Pearl :: finds comfort and inspiration in the unseen, the unknown, and the ephemeral. A life-long dabbler and multi-hyphenate, Pearl’s natural aptitude but lack of focus as a child led several grown ups to tell them they were “wasting their potential”. Pearl still continues to try to“live up” to their potential and define their expertise! Some things that make Pearl’s heart go pitter patter are scenic routes, probing questions, grey areas, mysteries, spontaneity, surprise parties, put lucks, trivia, tapas, an empty sketch pad, the 64 box of crayons, meeting new people, ambiguity, exploration, improv, silly faces, daydreams, disco balls, and interrupting. Pearl will try anything once (and probably twice).
SHSH at 2019 UP CLOSE Festival. Photo: Hyphen Photography
ABOUT SHSH
The Society of Historic Sonic Happenings believes that sound never dies and that the world is filled with the sounds of the past. But with the right device, at the right time, in the right place – and with your help – the lost voices and forgotten noises of the past can now be heard in the present.
Work directly with SHSH scientists to preserve these rare and forgotten sounds – from the crunch of a dried tobacco leaf under the foot of a Matinecock man, current day 38th Avenue, Woodside, Queens, September 23, 1447 to the whistles, roars and cheers as the Mets win the World Series, Shea Stadium, October 16th, 1969 - in special sonic time capsules.
SHSH is a playful and interactive experience that will ask you to listen closer to the world than you ever have before.
MEET THE TEAM
Adrienne Kapstein, Creator/Director
Adrienne (she/her) is a collaborative theater-maker, director, and theater educator. She creates visually rich, physically adventurous new work and participatory performance experiences that exist across various mediums. Adrienne is interested in building community through the connection and interaction with public spaces and is passionate about bringing experimental work to audiences of all ages and sharing live art across generations. Her original work has been presented in the U.S., Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Romania, Croatia, and China. She is the Head of the BA Acting and BA Directing International Performance Ensemble program at Pace University.
Bhurin Sead, Lead Artist/Sound Designer
Bhurin (he/him) is an actor, musician and theater maker. Bhurin is interested in performer audience relationships and the possibilities that their interactions reveal. He has performed with Blue Man Group as a Blue Man since 2008 and is currently a full time cast member at the Astor Place Theater. Bhurin holds an MFA in Performance and Interactive Media Arts from Brooklyn College and a BS in Human Biology from The University of Texas at Austin.
Peter Musante, Artistic Producer
A frequent Trusty Sidekick collaborator since its inception, Peter Musante (he/him) has spent twelve years in the experimental performance and arts education communities of New York City. A recent graduate and Equity and Inclusion Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Peter's recent work focuses on participatory design and neighborhood change, including the UP CLOSE Festival – an intergenerational immersive theater experience inspired by NYC urbanist Jane Jacobs - which he founded in 2018. He's also a frequent collaborator with Andrew Schneider (OBIE Award), Blue Man Group, and does clinical skills training for NYC medical schools! upcloseprojects.org
Performers:
Rachel Confrancisco studied acting at Pace University and is now pursuing early childhood education at Montclair State University. She is delighted to work on a piece that combines her two passions and would like to thank Trusty Sidekicks and the SHSH team for having her along for the ride! Rachelconfrancisco.com
Alec Kirazian is an NYC-based performing artist. Theater: The Winter’s Tale, The Adding Machine, Look Back in Anger, The Connection. Film/TV: Speed Run (Winner - Best Short Film, 10+ Festivals), Nerve, The Deuce, The Blacklist. Graduate of Pace University, 2018.
Akash Seeramreddi (he/him) is an actor, improviser, and writer! He is currently a senior at Pace University (BA Acting w/ a minor in Anthropology/Sociology) ready to graduate! When he is not cramming for midterms and finals, Akash performs with his college Improv Troupe (Yes Anderson) and Sketch Troupe (Huge Desk). Akash is super thrilled to be back performing live theatre once again with an incredibly supportive team! Enjoy the show! ig: @thehumanoodle
SHSH is an UP CLOSE Projects production (more info)
