Arden – But, Not Without You
WORLD PREMIERE
FEB 6 - MAR 21, 2022
Devised by Peter Born, Diana Oh, Niegel Smith, Okwui Okpokwasili, and Carrie Mae Weems
Co-directed by Nia Witherspoon & Niegel Smith
Composed and Co-Music Directed by Diana Oh
”Do Not Let Go” Lyrics by Okwui Okpokwasili, Music by Peter Born and Okwui Okpokwasili
Arden: But, Not Without You is raw, vibrant, and QUEER AS F*CK. Don’t miss this genre-bending new work, commissioned by The Flea and led by Peter Born, Diana Oh, Okwui Okpokwasili, Niegel Smith, Carrie Mae Weems, and Nia Witherspoon.
Diana Oh describes Arden as “Four Generations of Deeply Intimately Bound All-Kinds-of-Doing-Shit Artists sharing of themselves in a Tender-Ass Room full of Queer Femme Shamanic Energy who Genuinely and Gently Welcome You: Social Anxieties, Yummy Freakiness, and All.”
Okwui adds: “We assume nothing. We know nothing, other than a shared desire to reach out and learn about how little we have known and how much we assume. We bring each other offerings and practices and we ask people to come and join us in these offerings. Can we come together in this spirit? There will be music, there will be dance, there might be a party. You bring what you can, we will hold a space for it.”
And Diana brings it all back, “When the world be moving so fast, and I be so gentle, this is the room I wanna be in.”
Come as you are.
"If you’re looking for an evening of traditional theater, Arden – But, Not Without You isn’t for you. But if you’re open to an experience you won’t soon forget, then come down for this Flea for all." – Manhattan Digest
"Arden feels like a poem, an ode to new beginnings, a ritual to solemnize a space, and a group embrace. The performers let us in, open their arms, feed off our energy, and offer us blessings. Together, we can hopefully leave more at peace and bask in this much-transformed version of the Flea." – Theatermania
"Wonderfully entertaining" – New York Theater
CREATIVE TEAM
FEATURING
Peter Born
Diana Oh*
Niegel Smith
Sharaé Moultrie
Jack Fuller
Viva Deconcini
Bernice “Boom Boom” Brooks
Serena Ebony Miller
CO-DIRECTORS
Niegel Smith & Nia Witherspoon
ENVIRONMENT DESIGNER
Peter Born
COSTUME DESIGNER
Linda Cho
SOUND, LIGHT, AND PROJECTION DESIGNER
Hao Bai
COMPOSER AND CO-MUSIC DIRECTOR
Diana Oh
MUSIC PRODUCER AND CO-MUSIC DIRECTOR.
Jack Fuller
COSTUME CO-DESIGNER
Raphael Regan
ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER
Bryson Ezell
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Caren Celine Morris
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Ilona Calatayud
COVID SAFETY MANAGER
Siobhan Petersen
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Beacon Theatrical Services
