video

NY : ground under II.

Miller, Jennifer, 1961-, Schulman, Sarah, Johnson, Sarah, Weis, Cathy, Heron, Scotty, Murray, Roderick, Newman, Jan Belle, May, Salley, Gagné, Tanya, Romaine, Jenny, Dame, Terry, Berman, Steve, Hemple, Henry, Morris, Bob, Rossi, Roberto, Sussman, Mark, Circus Amok
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2333.1/rbnzs7tg
Title
NY : ground under II.
Other title
Ground under II
Author/Creator
Miller, Jennifer, 1961-, Schulman, Sarah, Johnson, Sarah, Weis, Cathy, Heron, Scotty, Murray, Roderick, Newman, Jan Belle, May, Salley, Gagné, Tanya, Romaine, Jenny, Dame, Terry, Berman, Steve, Hemple, Henry, Morris, Bob, Rossi, Roberto, Sussman, Mark, Circus Amok
Restrictions/Permissions
Access is open to all web users, Copyright holder: Circus Amok, Contact information: Jennifer Miller, 190 Bedford Ave, #213, Brooklyn, NY 11249, U.S.A., +1-347-743-7880 (business), jennifer@circusamok.org, http://www.circusamok.org
Language
Date
©1995
Filming or performance location
Performed in Tompkins Square Park, New York City, on June 4, 1995.
Format
1 online resource (2 video files of 2 (digital Betacam) (67 min.)) : sound, color.
Credits
Circus Amok, producer ; Jennifer Miller, producer, director ; Jenny Romaine, music director ; Terri Dame, composer ; Sarah Schulman, Dominique Dibbel, Jenny Romaine, text ; Alessandra Nichols, Scotty Heron, design ; Karen Sherman, tech director ; Roderick Murray, tech consultant ; Sarah Johnson, liaison to bureaucracy. Jennifer Miller ; Sarah Johnson ; Cathy Weis ; Scotty Heron ; Roderick Murray ; Jan Belle Newman ; Salley May ; Tanya Gagnè ; Jenny Romaine, musician ; Terri Dame, musician ; Steve Berman, musician ; Henry Hemple, musician ; Bob Morris, musician ; Roberto Rossi, musician ; Mark Sussman, musician ; DD Dorvillier, roustabout ; Eliza Schuarz, roustabout.
Notes

Video documentation of Circus Amoks show, NY: Ground Under II, performed in 1995 in diverse NYC parks, squares and other public spaces. The piece revolves around political, social and economic issues at play in New York City, while posing a critique of the disconnect between the needs of the diverse, multitudinous population of NYC vis-à-vis oppressive governmental policies impacting the city. Skits include a 'short history of NY', highlighting the geopolitical diversity of the city, along with scenes alluding to controversial budget cuts, public transportation campaigns, etc. Satires of Republican political figures like Newt Gingrich (58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives), George Pataki (53rd Governor of New York), and Rudy Giuliani (Mayor of NYC at the time) place the piece in the context of contemporary issues affecting the citizens of NYC, exposing controversial policies while educating and entertaining the audience in a joyful extravaganza of acrobatic artistry, satiric skill, and good old-fashioned circus fun. Circus Amok (www.circusamok.org) is a New York City based circus-theater company whose mission is to provide free public art addressing contemporary issues of social justice to the people of New York City. Directed and founded by Jennifer Miller, the group has been together since 1989 bringing its funny, queer, caustic and sexy, political one-ring spectacles to diverse neighborhoods throughout the city. Over the years the traditional circus skills - tight rope walking, juggling, acrobatics, stilt walking, clowning- have been combined with experimental dance, lifesize puppetry, music old and new, and gender-bending performance art and improvisational techniques, creating new meanings for circus while continuing to entertain the crowds of all ages throughout the city streets, gardens, parks, and playgrounds, inviting the audience to join them in envisioning a more empowered life of community interaction while enjoying a queer celebratory spectacle. Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics