GROUND FLOOR RESIDENCY LAB
Our Residency Lab brings artists to Berkeley to work on projects in 1–4 week residencies. Artists are selected based on a combination of existing relationships with Berkeley Rep and an application process.
MONICA BILL BARNES AND ROBBIE SAENZ DE VITERI | MANY HAPPY RETURNS
A physical version of a memory play, combining stories and dances that celebrate the disappointment inherent in returning, year after year. From the start, there’s little distinction between audience and performer as both navigate who is ultimately leading the show. Now that we are all here, who is it exactly that we want to be? Audience members will hear stories, set to the sounds of Perry Como, Bach’s Partitas, and Blondie. There are flowers, an attempted sing-along, and someone will give a toast. By the end, the stage is no longer empty, but ridden with mementos and dancing bodies, leaving the audience feeling fuller than when they arrived as if they, like the performers, finally found what they’ve been missing.