ÁBH UPDATE 2025 ED. 2
Happy June ,
I offer this newsletter as a way to stay in touch with you and my work.
And please: I will still be friends with or work with you if you unsubscribe from this!
I recently had a memory. 1n 1997 I volunteered for the Free Tibet Concert on Randalls island. I was obviously motivated by a desire to see Björk and the Beastie Boys for free. (I was 16). This youtube link popped up for me recently. Tibetan Freedom Concert - 1997-06-08 New York, NY. (a snippet from Japanese tv) A day or so later this recollection brought up a memory there is no footage of.
A sand Mandala was created over the the three day festival by Tibetan monks. I was fascinated by the deliberate way the bright colored sand was “painted” with the metal cone. I also remember feeling weird about the the inclusion of a religious ceremony in a tent at a rock concert, which I visited every day. At the end of the concert the mandala was walked to the shore and dumped into the water. I was rocked by this. I had never seen beauty so exquisite created in order to be destroyed. No retelling of this experience captured the way it made me feel watching it. Now I see this was a root thrill that drew my interest in beauty and art.
I have been thinking: theater work is like this. - we craft something gorgeous that we intentionally scatter. I think I like theater and artists because we ultimately dump our work into the water. This is also why I appreciate a space in the newsletter to reflect on the ephemeral.
I hope you are taking good care of yourself and have a chill summer ahead,
ÁBH
PROJECTS RIGHT NOW
Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes & Creditors @ Minetta Lane Theater
Playing through June 18 Tickets
And please let me know what you think!
The project of this double bill was really fun. — A rush of enthusiasm for sure.
All of the actors were genuinely terrific to work with.
I adore Hannah Moscovitch’s play, Sexual Misconduct … It’s really a bear trap of reversal of Oleanna. (In a small world, I met the author last year as the librettist on 10 Days in a Madhouse) I hope more people perform it.
Creditors is my favorite kind of bloody ensemble theater. It’s about artists and how cruel they can truly be with the ones they love. The adaptation by Jen Silverman is acid. I really enjoyed assembling research boards. Early modern Swedish artists were a fairly anxious, chaotic and obsessive group.
Shout out to my wonderful associate Annie Hoeg, who made it all happen with me.
I enjoyed Helen Shaw’s review of these shows.
Lost Nation
Winter is closing in on a woman caretaker in rural New Hampshire, with only a visiting loon for company.
Hannah Cabell wrote, directed and performs in this short film. I met Hannah doing Men on Boats in 2015. I am flattered she reached out to me to do production design and wardrobe for this shoot in New Hampshire. I am so proud of the work and Hannah.
Please come out to Brooklyn to see it! It’s one of three shorts playing.
Art of Brooklyn Film Festival Screening
Wed, Jun 11th, 9:00 PM Tickets
Past projects
A(U)NTS!
(This project closed in May)
Huzzah to Zoë Geltman and Julia Sirna Frest on this incredibly fun project at the Brick. Gratitude to the awesome Oriana Sophia, who associated on this costume design.
I want to raise a glass to my long working relationship to Zoë and Julia.
One of the great perks of being a designer is working with people in different ways on different projects. It’s an honor to roll with these two artists for so long.
Ten Years ago we made Sea Fraud together at the Brick. Can you identify the tuna?
In my early adult life Julia Sirna Frest was the friend that gave me the confidence to pursue a costume design career. I am inspired by her acting, directing and warmth.
She and I have now made eight projects together now including A(u)nts! : A Man Called Spade, The Birds, The Beautiful Pooper Scooper, Babes in Toyland, Aria Da Capo, Porto, Sea Fraud. (Wow, again, who is pictured?)
Zoë Geltman I have known and dressed for a long time
… one highlight for me was “At The Rich Relatives” a song cycle composed by Jeff Aaron Bryant and Mallery Avidon for the Target Margin Theater’s Labs Yiddish labs 2. 0 in 2014.
Zoë played young Deena, who is intimidated by her rich relatives
Hearing her sing Jeff’s songs still brings me delight.
“Everything is terrible when you’re poor”
