Ashley R.T. Yergens' "SURROGATE" Program

Photo still by Nel Shelby

Ashley R.T. Yergens SURROGATE JUNE 13-15, 8PM, 2024

Choreographed & Directed by Ashley R.T. Yergens Performed by Ashley R.T. Yergens, Justin Faircloth, Maddie Schimmel, Mur, Nicola Gorham Music by Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Eiffel 65, Imogen Heap, Wurlitzer 157 Carousel Organ “Frozen Potential,” original song and composition by Mur Costumes by Maddie Schimmel and Mur Lighting Design by Jennifer Fok

Run time: 40 minutes

FUNDING The Live Feed creative residency program is supported in part by Partners for New Performance. Commissioned premieres created within the Live Feed program are cornerstones of every season at New York Live Arts. Live Arts’ 2023-2024 season confronts the current critical moment, in which the changing social, political, and cultural tides call to deepen its vision as a conduit for engagement through art. We thank our Partners for New Performance for supporting Live Feed.

SPECIAL THANKS Tyler Ashley, Jeff Barneson, Casey Bohannon, Heidi Bohnenkamp, Nico Brown, Ali Burke, Barb Cecil, Lia Clay-Miller, Kim Cullen, Shannon Denzel-Bartok, Bonnie Denzel, Cecilia Gentili, Amelia Golden, Nicola Gorham, Charlene Incarnate, Lillie Jacobson, Bill T. Jones, Madison Krekel, Silas Lee, Deborah Lohse, Emily Mutch, Maddie Petersil, Kristopher K.Q. Pourzal, Bearclaw Price, Emily Rae Vicente, Rachel Raleigh, Eleanor Smith, Kristen Smith, Q Stuckey, Hana Tanberg, Kayla Tanberg, Jason Tanberg, Sean Tanberg, Teri Tanberg, Fran Tirado, TYGAPAW, Ube, Jon Velez-Jackson, Larissa Velez-Jackson, Carlo Antonio Villanueva, Delaney Wallace, Janet Wong.

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Donate at newyorklivearts.org/support We acknowledge and pay respect to Lenape people, elders, and ancestors past, present, and coming in the future. We acknowledge Indigenous people who may be present right now. We acknowledge and offer deep gratitude to Lenapehoking where we are now - the land, and waters of the Lenape homeland.

BIOGRAPHIES Nicola Gorham is an Actor and Performance Artist in New York.

Her work has appeared at La MaMa E.T.C., The Duplex and Joe’s Pub. Nicola attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her theater credits include ‘Transformation: The Christine Jorgensen Show’ (The Wild Project) Street Children & Superstitions (The New Ohio Theatre), Future St. (The Broad Museum) and Big Art Group’s Broke House at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Past film & TV credits include High Maintenance (HBO) and feature films Josie & Jack and Townhouse Confidential.

She is represented by Clear Talent Group and Managed by G&G Talent.

Justin Faircloth is a performing artist from North Carolina. Since relocating to New York, Justin has had the pleasure of working with Blaze Ferrer, Miguel Gutierrez, Cherylyn Lavagnino, Doug LeCours, loveconductors (FOH), Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, Maddie Schimmel, Third Class Citizen, Third Rail Projects, Erik Thurmond, Ashley R.T. Yergens, Jessie Young,

Abby Zbikowski, and others.

Instagram: @bacnneggs Mur was born in Connecticut and reared in Kentucky, educated at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and appeared at The Guggenheim, The Public Theater, La Mama, National Sawdust, The Flea, Club Cumming, and Wild Project. Mur is the Creative Director of Mur Experimental Theater Company, a Lower Manhattan based performance art organization. Mur did not go to NYU. @murnewyork Maddie Schimmel is a performer, costumer, and maker.

They are finding and falling out of balance through the practices of scheduling, getting dressed, giving, receiving, working, resting, hanging out, cooking, and literally standing on one leg.

Mad has shown choreographic work at Roulette, Cathy Weis Sundays on Broadway, Triskelion Arts, and Center for Performance Research, and has designed costumes for Jordan Lloyd, Breaktime, Proteo Media + Performance, Jessie Young, and Jo Warren and Lena

Engelstein.

Ashley R.T. Yergens is a dance artist based in Brooklyn, NY. His choreographic work explores the assimilation of trans identities into American popular culture and what events led Time Magazine to mark 2014 as the ‘Transgender Tipping Point’. Visually, his performances unapologetically cross-contaminate references, aesthetics, and performative boundaries found in commercial and avant-garde dance, social media (YouTube and Instagram), stand-up comedy, and queer nightlife. As a performer, you can spot him as an extra in the FX docuseries A Wilderness of Error, dancing next to Carly Rae Jepsen and Dev Hynes in the “Better Than Me” music video, or go-go dancing at queer clubs throughout NYC.

LIVE ARTS CONTRIBUTORS New York Live Arts is deeply grateful to all the individuals listed below for their vital gifts to New York Live Arts over the last year: $500,000 and higher Anonymous Slobodan Randjelović & Jon Stryker $100,000-$499,999 Anonymous Ruth & Stephen Hendel Eleanor Friedman Ellen M. Poss Alex Katz Foundation $50,000 - $99,999 Zoe Eskin Helen Haje Suzanne Karpas Lorraine Gallard & Richard H. Levy Barbara & Alan Marks Matthew Putman Jane Bovingdon Semel & Terry Semel | Semel Charitable Foundation $25,000 - $49,999 Dance/NYC David Dechman & Michel Mercure Adam Flatto William Floyd Darnell L. Moore Amy Newman & Bud Shulman Andrea Rosen Jonathan & Jennifer Soros Diana Wege / Wege Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous Jody & John Arnhold Patricia Blanchet Bloomberg Philanthropies Paula Cooper Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy Agnes Gund Alexes Hazen Colleen Keegan Michael Malafronte & Julia Haley Julie Orlando Ellen M. Poss John Robinson Wendy Smith Nina Stricker Pat Stryker Tito’s Handmade Vodka Warner Bros. Discovery $5,000 - $9,999 Derrick Adams

Rose C. Cali Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, Inc. Lawton W. Fitt Jason Keehn Robert Longo Ellen Pechman Randy Polumbo Herb Ritts, Jr. Foundation Thomas Rom Cindy Sherman Jeffrey Schneider & Jeffery Povero David Schwartz Foundation Catharine Stimpson $1,000 - $4,999 Ayala Abrams The Angelson Family Foundation Derek Brown & Deborah Hellman Kathleen Chalfant Jeannie Colbert Boykin Curry Terence Dougherty & Pierre Duleyrie Kimberly Drew Emma Friedman-Cohen Mimi Garrard Sandy Gelfond Sean Giancola Michael & Deborah Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg Thomas & Barbara Gottschalk Andrew Halliday Kevin Harter Tom Hennes Barbara Hoffman Jenny Holzer Michael Houston Laura & Richard Hunt Judy Johnson Bill T Jones & Bjorn Amelan Andrew Keegan Gavin Kenny Esperanza Martinez in memory of Vicktorianna Gardner-Davis Bella Meyer Nancy Meyer & Marc Weiss Susan Micari Helen Mills & Gary Tannenbaum Meridee Moore & Kevin King Momoko Myre Alessandra Nicifero Scott Norman Mark O’Donnell Eric Oberstein

Buck Parson Corey Robinson Jordan & Laura Rogove Erin Rossitto Beth Rudin DeWoody Dee Dee Sides Wendy Smith in memory of Jon D. Smith Mickalene Thomas Robyn Trani Billie Tsien & Tod Williams in memory of Yvonne Tsien James A. Turrell & Kyung-Lim Lee Turrell JP Versace Kimberly Welch Robert Zweig $500 - $999 Jordan Baker-Kilner Stefan Beckman Fabian Bernal Donald Bernstein Saami Bloom Michael Brady Amanda Burden Alexandra Chasin Kent Cole William Critzman

Antoine Drye Kathaleen Duffin Erika Ehrman Elizabeth Frankel Naima Green Linda Hunt Ted Kamoutsis Otho Kerr Michael Mizrahi Michael Naimy Cynthia Pearlman Paul Pelssers Robert Rosenberg John Sansone Martha Sherman Ward Simmons Ellynne Skove in memory of Nancy Topf Deborah Swiderski Emma Taylor Wade Turnbull Maureen Ellen Veitch Anna Wheeler Carol Yorke & Gerard Conn Gifts and commitments between January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023

Support for New York Live Arts is provided by the Arnhold Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ed Bradley Family Foundation, Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, Dance/NYC, Ford Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Marta Heflin Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Alex Katz Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Alice Lawrence Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Muriel Pollia Foundation, National Performance Network, New England Foundation for the Arts, One World Fund, The Poss Family Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, The Semel Charitable Foundation, Scherman Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Tides Foundation.

Corporate support for New York Live Arts includes Con Edison, Google, Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Public support for New York Live Arts is from National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

STAFF & BOARD Artistic Leadership

Executive Leadership

Board of Directors

Bill T. Jones Artistic Director

Kim Cullen Executive Director & CEO

Stephen Hendel Co-Chair

Janet Wong Associate Artistic Director

Ali Burke Chief of Staff

Richard H. Levy Co-Chair

Programming, Producing & Engagement

Development

Helen Haje Vice Chair

Dave Archuletta Chief Development Officer

Slobodan RandjeloviĆ Vice Chair

Nina Phuong Ha Development Manager

Alan Marks Treasurer

Kyle Maude Producing Director Hannah Emerson Jernigan Producer

Aimee Meredith Cox Secretary

Production

Julie Davis Special Events & Donor Engagement Manager

Chanel Pinnock Production Manager

Felix Reyes Institutional Giving Manager

Leo Janks Lighting Manager

Finance

Bjorn Amelan

James Bennett Audio/Video Manager

Nupur Dey Chief Financial Officer

LaToya Ruby Frazier

Megan Dechaine Production Stage Manager

Manathus Dey Finance Associate

Tricia Navigato Assistant Production Manager

Operations

Creative Director

Gregory English Operations Manager

Bjorn G. Amelan

Marcus Retegues Facilities Coordinator

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Adalid Nunez-Mendoza Custodial Assistant

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New York Live Arts

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Bill T. Jones Artistic Director Ex-Officio Kim Cullen Chief Executive Officer Ex-Officio Sarah Arison Charla Jones Colleen Keegan Darnell L. Moore Amy Newman Randy Polumbo Ellen M. Poss Matthew Putman Jane Bovingdon Semel Ruby Shang Catharine R. Stimpson Board Emeritus Derek Brown

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