The world premiere of Parallel Exit’s “The Artist Will Be With You in a Moment” is one part absurdist art gallery, and the other part an immersive theatrical experience in which New York City audience members are invited to participate. Joel Jeske’s well-honed comedic chops are in full force as he teaches us to expect the unexpected in his world.
The audience interaction that Joel brings into his work tests the boundaries of traditional theatre audience etiquette and guarantees vastly different performances every single time. I will avoid any spoilers, because the magic of “The Artist Will Be With You in a Moment” is in the surprise of it all, and there are glorious little gems sprinkled throughout the show! But I will say this; no audience members are put on the spot in any way they would find embarrassing or frightening. And the more audiences lean into the ridiculous and the unknown, the greater the reward.
“The Artist Will Be With You in a Moment” may be created, written, and performed by Joel Jeske, but he makes it clear that we are all artists in his mind, as vital a piece of the puzzle as he is. And the show is really about us and designed to make us think about the reasons we place value on the things we do.
It can be hard to just…be. Ask any living person. But when faced with the extraordinary weight of existence, Joel chooses to dance. And maybe we all should too.
Details: “The Artist Will Be With You in a Moment”
Created, written, and performed by Joel Jeske.
Directed by Mark Lonergan.
Scenic and lighting design by Maruti Evans.
Costume design by Oana Botez.
Original Music by Peter Bufano.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Saturday, March 7th – Sunday, March 29th, 2020.
Running time: 70 minutes, with no intermission.
Playing at:
The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at the A.R.T./New York Theatres.
502 W 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019.
Tickets can be purchased for $30 at:
https://theartist.brownpapertickets.com/.
All Photos by Richard Termine.
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