PUNCHLINE 

world premiere
b12 festival in berlin, germany
DOCK 11
July 11-12, 2023
 
US PREMIERe
arthur miller theatre
September 8-9, 2023
1226 Murfin ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

NY PREMIERe
Gibney Agnes variS Performing Arts Center
September 28-30, 2023

 

You are waiting for the PUNCHLINE... no need to worry, it happens to all of us. Through a prismatic lens of virtuosic movement and radical storytelling, audiences will find themselves embedded in a living landscape where three performers traverse the space between comedy and death. US based physical dance theater company VIM VIGOR translates comedic structure into physical form, where the body can relish the electrified euphoria of feeling alive, while it still can. Set against an original electronic sound score by Marshall Chadbourne, PUNCHLINE wrestles with the inevitable, while delighting in the transcendent awareness of limited time. 

 

Concept, Direction: Shannon Gillen

Choreography: Shannon Gillen and Jason Cianciulli

Choreographic Collaborators: Tzveta Kassabova

Performance: Jason Cianciulli, Shannon Gillen, Tzveta Kassabova

Sound Score: Marshall Chadbourne

 

PUNCHLINE was awarded the competitive RCI grant from The University of Michigan in support of its creation and upcoming tour. This work will have its world premiere at the b12 Festival at Dock 11 in Berlin, July 11-12, 2023. PUNCHLINE will then return for its US premiere at the Arthur Miller Theater in Michigan September 9-10, 2023 before touring for its NY premiere with Gibney Presents at the Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center September 28-30, 2023.

 

About the commissioning institutions:

b12 festival is a renowned contemporary dance and performance art festival in Berlin 2023. The program runs throughout the month of July with workshops, performances, community engagement, performance / creative projects and lectures. Artists selected to participate will have the opportunity to dance alongside and learn from an extensive array of inspiring teachers, artists and choreographers from all over the world, that are coming together to share their passion and knowledge with you, as well as your fellow students in an exquisite studio environment, nestled in the nature of the city.

 

GIBNEY PRESENTS is Gibney’s premier presentation series, offering a rich blend of dance and performance in fully produced, evening-length commissions. PUNCHLINE was curated by Nigel Campbell and will open the 23’/24’ season in New York City.