A collective of theater and media artists committed to the creation and production of aesthetically innovative and emotionally compelling works that address sociopolitical realities in a direct yet artful way, embracing complexity and contradiction.
Artistic Directors: Noel Salzman and Jay Smith
THE LONELINESS OF NOAM CHOMSKY (a performance)






   
First mounting in February 2004 at Tixe, a Chashama Arts Space
at 113 West 42nd Street, NYC

Second mounting in September 2004 at Here, 145 6th Avenue, NYC



Dear Mr. Salzman,

Interested to hear about your project. I wish I could be helpful in some way, but I have to say that what you are doing is pretty much outside of any area that I feel I know anything about, or even have any familiarity with. That's not meant as criticism in any way; just acknowledgment of the facts, about me...

Noam Chomsky



"Upon entering the theater, one has to wonder how Ogawa, a young Asian-American actress, will successfully portray Noam Chomsky, a 75-year-old man of Eastern European descent . . . But Ogawa, even before uttering a single line, invokes his persona successfully . . . There's an extremely fascinating aspect of watching this type of acting . . . [the production] succeeds because because it brings an unconventional personality to the stage. And in times like these, we need all the dissentiing voices we can get." -- WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

"... This sets the contradictory tone of reverence and self-mockery that makes The Loneliness of Noam Chomsky such a compelling performance. While the performance is generally sympathetic towards Chomsky, it establishes a tension between the perceived and real Chomsky that is almost menacing. The performance then uses this tension to aggressively question the nature of the "perceived" and "real" in contemporary politics and more gently question the extent of Chomsky's self-awareness..." -- WWW.CULTUREBOT.ORG

"... [Medlock and Kniffen's] frenetic energy and rapidly shifting characterizations provide an excellent contrast to the fiercely controlled Ogawa, and the interactions of all three actors are what give the show its unique feel. Director Noel Salzman certainly helps, and he has taken great pains to ensure that the proceedings are never boring - the frequent interjections of dance, audio (designed by Katie Down), and video (the brilliant work of Brian Nishii with Kristen Petliski) enhance the experience even further..." -- WWW.TALKINGBROADWAY.COM

"Ogawa, as Chomsky, occupies the intersex position; she is genderless and all genders at once, a point reinforced by a scene in which a William Bennett/Chomsky debate is re-imagined as an exchqange between Oedipus and Tiresias, the transgendered soothsayer of myth." -- GAY CITY NEWS

"[A] compelling and provocative performance piece . . . Salzman and Schmidt offer a thoughtful and eye-opening . . . introduction to Chomsky's unsettling views." -- TIME OUT NEW YORK

"...I admire anyone, in this case Noel Salzman the director and Tamara Schmidt the dramaturg, who is willing to take sides in political controversies and willing to take risks to portray their opinions. All too often, ever more so these days, American life is whitewashed by corporate public relations and government oversight with threats of costly penalties." -- WWW.NYTHEATRE-WIRE.COM


the loneliness of noam chomsky (a performance)

with Judson Kniffen, Alanna Medlock, Aya Ogawa
Director Noel Salzman
Dramaturg Tamara Schmidt
Set David Esler
Costumes Lora LaVon
Lights Kevin Hardy
Sound Katie Down with Stefano Zazzera
Video Brian Nishii with Kristin Petliski
Stage Manager Mark Lindberg
Graphic Design Raúl Rodríguez for R studio T, NYC
Web Design Santiago Echeverry



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