RINGLING MUSEUM ANNOUNCES 2010 RIAF
Eleven stage productions in music, theater and dance, featuring artists from throughout Europe and North America headline the 2010 Ringling International Arts Festival (RIAF) to be held October 13-17, 2010 in the theaters, galleries and gardens of the Ringling Center for the Arts in Sarasota, Florida. Festival organizers from and the The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Baryshnikov Arts Center spoke before a capacity audience on Wednesday, March 10 to share the line-up that includes artists from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Britain, Russia, Romania, Canada and the United States.
“This program of artists reflects the Baryshnikov Arts Center’s commitment to presenting both emerging and established artists,” said Stanford Makishi, executive director for the New York-based center. “We are happy to once again collaborate with the Ringling Museum in bringing such a rich and diverse array of ideas and forms to these beautiful facilities in Sarasota.”
“We’re back by popular demand,” stated Ringling Deputy Director, Dwight Currie, referring to the Festival’s successful launch in 2009 when near capacity attendance prompted organizers to change their plans for a biennial event into an annual celebration on Florida’s gulf coast. “Once again we’re looking forward to greeting visitors from across the U.S. and around the world as we present this exciting array of performances, art exhibitions, special events and so much more.”
The 2010 RIAF opens on Wednesday, October 13 with “The Night of Premieres.” Following a gala champagne toast in the lobbies, curtains will go up on four premiere productions staged in the Center’s three theaters and in a whimsical hand-painted tented pavilion.
The Night of Premieres will feature the following performances:
• Solos with Mikhail Baryshnikov & David Neumann featuring works by Susan Marshall (world premiere dance), David Neumann, and others in the Mertz Theatre. Also performed at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14 and at 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 15.
• Capricho (world premiere theater) written and directed by Pulitzer-prize winner Nilo Cruz in the Historic Asolo Theater. Also performed at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16; and 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17.
• Glass and Bach for Solo Violin, with Tim Fain performing the world premiere composition by Philip Glass in the Cook Theatre. Also performed at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 14.
• Obludarium (US premiere), The Forman Brothers, circus nomads from the Czech Republic, present music and puppetry in their handcrafted tented pavilion. Also performed at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; and 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16.
In the fours days following The Night of Premieres, seven additional stage productions join the line-up of theater, music and dance. In total, 44 performances will be presented in repertoire in three theaters.
Dance Productions:
• Opening Night (US premiere) Les Slovaks Dance Collective (five Slovak dancers residing in Brussels) presents an exuberant and contagious union of folk-inspired music and imaginative, modern dance movement. Mertz Theatre at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 2:00 p.m. Friday, October15; 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16; and 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17.
• Loan Sharking: Street cool meets high art as choreographer Victor Quijada transforms hyperkinetic hip-hop into a vibrant, richly textured performance by Rubberbandance Group. Mertz Theatre at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16; and 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17.
• Magic, Mystery and other mundane events: Acclaimed American choreographer John Jasperse and the John Jasperse Company explore the fluid boundaries between reality and fantasy, belief and illusion, the sincere and the ironic. Historic Asolo Theater at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16; and 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17.
Theatre Productions:
• The Boys: From Moscow The Theater Art Studio explores a special story line from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov in the best tradition of Russian theater. Cook Theatre at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 16; and 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 17.
• Space Panorama: The acclaimed British director/performer/minimalist Andrew Dawson takes audiences from Houston to the moon and back to Earth again in an entrancing live documentary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Cook Theater at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16; and 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17.
Music Productions:
• Gypsy in a Tree: From Bucharest via Berlin to New York, Cabaret artists Sanda Weigl & The Takeishis pay homage to Gypsy music and the Weimer Republic with a touch of downtown Manhattan edginess. Historic Asolo Theater at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14; 10:00 p.m. Friday, October 15; and 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 17.
• Jazz with Kate Davis: Bassist, violinist, and jazz singer (not yet 20-years-old) Kate Davis performs with the artistic maturity and refinement that hallmarked her appearances in the White House and Kennedy Center. Historic Asolo Theater at 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 15 and 10:00 p.m. Saturday, October 16.
Orders for four, six and eight-performance passes to the 2010 RIAF can be placed with the Historic Asolo Theatre's box office by calling (941) 360-7399. Single tickets go on sale Saturday, May 15, 2010.
