SHOW INFORMATION  /

PHILADELPHIA PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
January 18-28, 2012
The Annenberg Center
3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

BOSTON PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
January 19 – January 23, 2011
ArtsEmerson
The Paramount Center
559 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

BROOKLYN PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
November 12 - December 11, 2010
Tuesday - Saturday at 8PM
Monday: November 29 and December 6 at 7PM
Saturday Matinees: November 20 and December 4 at 2PM

THE X-PASS
In the Footprint at the Irondale Center was part of The Exchange's 2010-11 flexible Off-Broadway season pass, The X-Pass. One pass has four credits, which means you get four tickets to any of the three remaining participating shows that can be used in any combination that you choose. Check it out HERE!

BROOKLYN POST-SHOW SERIES SCHEDULE
After the Brooklyn performances of In the Footprint The Civilians opened up the stage to speakers who shared their expertise and led discussions about the real-life issues from the play related to the Atlantic Yards development and our changing community.

November 20 at 2PM: Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee
November 29 at 7PM: Brad Lander, New York City Council Member
November 30 at 8PM: Stephen Levin, New York City Council Member
December 2 at 8PM: Tom Angotti, Professor of Urban Studies & Planning at Hunter College
December 4 at 2PM: Daniel Goldstein, Co-founder of DDDB and last resident to leave The Footprint
December 6 at 7PM: BrooklynSpeaks: The Future of Atlantic Yards*
December 7 at 8PM: Letitia James , New York City Council Member (Invited)
December 9 at 8PM: Stacey Sutton, Urban Planning Professor at Columbia's Architecture Grad Dept. and Daniel Goldstein, Co-founder of DDDB and last resident to leave The Footprint

*December 6 Speakers: Deb Howard Pratt Area Community Council; JoAnne Simon District Leader, 52nd Assembly District; Gib Veconi, Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
The Civilians presents the world premiere of In the Footprint, a new play with music at the Irondale Center in Fort Greene. The site of the future Atlantic Yards Project, including the Barclays basketball arena, is located two blocks away from the theater where In the Footprint's world premiere chronicled the conflicts surrounding the largest land development project in Brooklyn's history. This lively theatrical production is inspired by interviews with the real-life players in the controversy, representing many different perspectives: Daniel Goldstein, residents of Prospect Heights and Fort Greene, political leaders such as Letitia James and Marty Markowitz, members of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, union members, and project supporters such as ACORN's Bertha Lewis.

This show is the culmination of a two-year long company investigation. The creative team listened to Brooklynites from Borough Hall to barber shops to gain insights into both the Atlantic Yards drama and the ongoing story of gentrification. The company previously presented a week of sold-out workshop performances at the Brooklyn Lyceum in 2008 under the title Brooklyn at Eye Level. In the Footprint, along with several pre- and post-show dialogues, will examine the conflicts that erupted in the case of the Atlantic Yards through to their current resolution in an attempt to discover how the fate of the city is decided in present-day New York and what can be learned from this epic and ongoing story of politics, money, and the places we call home.

The Atlantic Yards development project was first proposed in 2003 by real estate developer Forest City Ratner. The construction plan includes a basketball stadium for the New Jersey Nets, high-rise condominiums, and new commercial spaces, and the demolition of established local businesses and existing homes. The groundbreaking for the development project occurred in March, 2010 after seven years of negotiations, legal battles, and community protests. The New York Court of Appeals' decision permitted the use of eminent domain.

For more information, check out The Civilians blog HERE or for older posts, take a look at our Brooklyn at Eye Level Blog!

Check out playwright and director Steve Cosson, composer Michael Friedman, and the cast of In the Footprint on WNYC's Soundcheck!

CREATIVE TEAM  /

Written and directed by:
Steven Cosson

Co-written by:
Jocelyn Clarke

Music and lyrics by:
Michael Friedman

New York Cast: Matthew Dellapina, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Billy Eugene Jones, Greg McFadden, Simone Moore, Colleen Werthmann

Boston Cast: Matthew Dellapina, Safya Fredericks, Daniel Jenkins, Simone Moore, Stephen Moore, and Colleen Werthmann

Philadelphia Cast: Gibson Frazier, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Nina Hellman, Jordan Mahome, Simone Moore, and Brian Sgambati

Scenic Design: Andromache Chalfant

Costume Design: Chloe Chapin

Lighting Design: Lucrecia Briceno

Sound Design: Shane Rettig

Video and Projection Design: Jeanette Yew

Music Direction: Kris Kukul

Production Stage Manager: Terri K. Kohler

From interviews conducted by Marsha Stephanie Blake, Greg McFadden, Melanie Nocholls-King, Michael Premo, Alex Rosenthal, Joaquin Torres, and Colleen Werthmann

PRODUCTION  /

The initial presentation of the Atlantic Yards project, entitled Brooklyn at Eye Level, was produced by The Civilians in December 2008 at the Brooklyn Lyceum. It was directed by Steven Cosson.

This project had its world premiere at the Irondale Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn from November 12 through December 11, 2010. The play had its Boston premiere January 19-23, 2011 at ArtsEmerson's Paramount Blackbox. The play had its Philadelphia premiere at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts January 18-28, 2012.

PRESS  /

"Best of 2010" Lists

• New York Times (Charles Isherwood)
• Time Out New York (Adam Feldman)
• The New Yorker
• The L Magazine
• That Sounds Cool

Reviews (New York)

• New York Times: "[In the Footprint] is as fresh, inventive and frankly as entertaining as any new work of musical theater to open this fall."
• The New York Times, Arts Beat: “...the company’s entertaining, insight-rich show about the controversial redevelopment plan in Brooklyn, restored my faith in the ability of theater artists to engage meaningfully with the world, here and now.”
• Time Out New York: Critic's Pick, Five Stars
• New York Magazine: "Social Theater At Its Best"
• The L Magazine: "necessary viewing for every Brooklynite and, really, every American"
• New York Post: Three Stars
• New York Daily News: "concise, juicy and entertaining"
• Village Voice: "innovative staging"
• Backstage: Critic's Pick
• Theatermania: "captures the spirit of what Brooklyn means"
• Lighting and Sound America: "all sorts of feisty, gabby characters"
• NY Theater.com: "great theater"
• That Sounds Cool: "one of the year's most sincere, clever, and enjoyable shows, period"
• Theatre is Easy: "smartly put together and enjoyable"
• Atlatntic Yards Report: "entertaining, and should spur further conversation"
• Curbed NY: The Ten Best Things About the Atlantic Yards Musical

Features and News Items (New York)

• New York Times: Photo Slide-Show
• New York Times: "the kind of passionate long-form journalism that has become too rare"
• WNYC, Soundcheck: The cast of In the Footprint performs!
• New York Times: "a layered portrait of a city and a neighborhood changing"
• The Brooklyn Rail: "a speed-walking cabaret with a conscience"
• Atlantic Yards Report: "the conflict has been epic theater"
• Urban Omnibus: "the collection of voices resounding through one theater is a unique achievement"
• Playbill: "The Civilians turn controversy into art"
• New York Daily News: "Atlantic Yards fight tale hits a new stage"
• WNYC: "It’s not a satire, it’s not a sketch comedy, it’s all authentic."
• The Local, New York Times: "the real stars of the show are the local residents"

Reviews (Boston)

• The Boston Globe: "imprint a total of 16 characters with vivid individuality."
• Time Out Boston: "Four stars... a powerful, multifaceted portrait"
• Blast Magazine: "revolutionary... engaging, intelligent and innovative"
• The Hub Review: "I can't think of a more accurate portrayal of the Way We Live Now"
• WBUR: "the issues come alive"
• The Boston Phoenix: a "surprisingly sprightly epitaph for a neighborhood"
• The Evolving Critic: "inspiring and thought provoking"

Features (Boston)

• The Boston Globe: "Onstage, a proliferation of African-American voices"
• The Boston Globe: "In the Footprint leaves audiences with serious food for thought"
• City's Best: "The Civilians Pioneer with Investigative Theater"
• Dig Boston: "The themes of In The Footprint apply to any major city that’s experienced significant urban development."

Benefit Announcement

• Playbill.com
• Broadway World

Talk-Back Series Announced

• Broadway World
• Atlantic Yards Report

Casting and Opening Announced

• Theatermania

In the Footprint Announced

• New York Times
• Playbill
• Brooklyn Eagle
• Atlantic Yards Report

Press for Brooklyn at Eye Level, In the Footprint workshop production at the Brooklyn Lyceum in December of 2008

• New York Magazine: Approval Matrix
• Brooklyn Rail: Rumble in Brooklyn
• Backstage: Front Page Meets Center Stage
• WNYC: Brooklyn Neighborhood Acts Out On Development Plan
• New York Observer: Atlantic Yards as Political Theater
• New York Magazine: Big Ideas, Small Stages. Where the curtain goes up on eye-opening work.

VIDEO  /

Check out videos from Brooklyn at Eye Level, the workshop version of In the Footprint!  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


For more videos, visit our Youtube HERE or The Great Immensity's Vimeo HERE!