Open Call: NIC Kay

AUG 1 – 3, 2024
A performance duet of impulse and desire

Tickets

Admission to Open Call events is free with a ticket reservation.

For sold out performances, an in-person wait list will be available 15 minutes before the show begins.

Learn more about accessibility for this production.

About this commission

In NIC Kay’s must have character, two performers—a mascot and a drag performer—engage in a duet, staggering through The Shed’s public spaces throughout the day. As they move, the duo engages in a nonverbal dialogue about motivation and desire. The performance is a snapshot of performers facing their anxieties around entertaining, and restless audiences eager to escape the world of the pandemic and other crises. Performed by Gabriele Christian and NIC Kay.

must have character includes performances on August 1 and 2 and a public program on August 3.

Check out the performance schedules for August 1 and 2.

Learn more about the public program.

Creative Team

NIC Kay, a gender non-conforming (GNC) individual of Black descent, is prominently featured in this image. Their shortly cropped natural hair frames their face elegantly. NIC Kay’s profile is visible as they face to the left, radiating a quiet strength. They wear an oversized blue shirt that drapes loosely over their frame, standing out against the cream background.
Photo: June Canedo de Souza.
NIC Kay
The artist Gabriele Christian, a Black nonbinary person, reclines outside on the ground. They lean back on one arm with the other draped over their leg and lap. They wear a mesh black tank top and jeans. In front of them is a tangle of brightly colored string, flowers, and other materials. Behind them is a screen of leafy green bushes and trees.
Photo: Rich Lomibao.
Gabriele Christian
NIC Kay
NIC Kay is a performer, dancer, conceptual choreographer, and all-around artist who uses creative movement, performing arts history, and performance art theory to explore relationality and yearning. Their work has been presented nationally and internationally. They are currently an artist-in-residence at the Stone Quarry Art Hill Park in Cazenovia, New York.
Gabriele Christian
Gabriele Christian (they/them), a.k.a. Eartha Kunt, is a Harlem-raised, Oakland-based antidisciplinary conceptual artist and descendent of stolen folk. Their work has been commissioned transnationally and internationally. They are a founding member of Bay Area performance collectives and land projects: RUPTURE (NEFA Awardees 2023, Watermill Center Artists-in-Residence 2024), OYSTERKNIFE, and BlaQyard.

Performance, Thursday, August 1

NIC works site-specifically, informed by the architecture and the inner workings of performance spaces—theaters, galleries, sidewalks, and the internet—to create moments of glitch, interruption, or pause. NIC’s durational performance will see the artists and audience traverse together, from the Shed’s surrounding area outdoors through every floor of the interior building. The audience is invited to join along at any point throughout the performance from 12 pm to 8 pm. Approximate key moments are listed below.

Performance Schedule

12 pm
Opening and journey to The Shed
Starting on the High Line extension along the West Side Highway
View the starting point on a map

1 pm
Exploring The Doctoroff Lobby (Level 1)

Performance continues to Level 6

4 pm
Live Mukbang in The Lab on Level 8
Watching a character enjoy a meal with minimal interaction

Performance continues on Levels 8, 4, and 2

7 pm
Climactic finale and closing in The Doctoroff Lobby (Level 1)
Celebrating self-discovery and unity, exiting gracefully

Performance, Friday, August 2

This performance begins at 1 pm in The Shed’s Doctoroff Lobby. It will be a condensed version of the Friday performance detailed above, concluding at 3 pm.

Public Program, Saturday, August 3

Building Characters Through Theater and Photography
Saturday, August 3
1 – 3 pm

This workshop invites participants to explore the art of character-making through theater exercises and creative activities. Participants will delve into the process of developing and embodying characters, culminating in a playful exploration of character photography.

During the workshop participants consider gathering the following:

  1. Costumes and Accessories: Clothing, bold outfits, accessories like wigs, hats, or jewelry, and makeup that enhance the character’s appearance.

  2. Props: Objects that symbolize elements of the character’s journey or story, such as everyday items transformed into symbolic representations or specific props that carry emotional or thematic weight.

Participants should bring with them:

  • Notebooks or journals
  • Pens or pencils
  • Disposable Camera or smartphone for photography

This workshop is designed to be interactive, engaging, and suitable for participants of all levels of experience and backgrounds. It fosters creativity, teamwork, and personal growth through the exploration of character and performance.

Credits

Open Call Team

Alex Poots, Artistic Director
Darren Biggart, Director of Civic Programs
Dejá Belardo, Assistant Curator, Civic Programs and Visual Arts
Daisy Peele, Open Call Producer (Associate Producer at The Shed)
Christal Ferreira, Program Manager, Civic Programs and Visual Arts
Ben Young, Production Manager

Special thanks to Public Assembly (Tamara McCaw, Maggie MacTiernan, and Annabel Thompson) and to former program team colleagues who facilitated the call for proposals and selection process for the third edition: Solana Chehtman, Sarah Khalid Dhobhany, Alessandra Gómez, and Andria Hickey.

Open Call Production Credits
Stephen Arnold, Open Call Production Manager
Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo, Scenic Coordinator
DJ Potts, Sound Coordinator
Vittoria Orlando, Lighting Coordinator
Hao Bai, Video/Projection Coordinator
Cynthia Caridad, Stage Coordinator
Caren Celine Morris, Stage Coordinator
Ariana Michel, Stage Coordinator
A. Sef, Accessibility Consultant

Location and Dates

August 1, 12 – 8 pm
August 2, 1 – 3 pm
August 3, 1 – 3 pm (public program in The Overlook on Level 4)

The Shed is located at 545 West 30th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. View The Shed on a map.

For information about accessibility and arriving at The Shed, visit our Accessibility page.

Accessibility

Seating

The Shed’s Griffin Theater has accessible seating. Please contact us in advance to discuss your needs and available options by emailing accessibility@theshed.org or calling (646) 455-3949.

Assistive Listening

Visitors may check out assistive listening devices at the entrance to the theater. A driver’s license will be held to check out the device.

Purchasing Tickets

The Shed’s online ticketing system includes the option to submit accommodation requests beyond the access points detailed here.

Contact Us

For questions or other requests, visit the Accessibility page, email accessibility@theshed.org, or call (646) 455-3494.

Open Call Read more about “Open Call ” All details for “Open Call ”
ONGOING
New art for New York

Thank you to our partners

The Sponsor of Open Call is
Support for Open Call is generously provided by

Additional support for Open Call is provided by The Wescustogo Foundation and Jody and John Arnhold | Arnhold Foundation.

The creation of new work at The Shed is generously supported by the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Commissioning Fund and the Shed Commissioners. Major support for live productions at The Shed is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund, with additional support from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

The Shed is connected by