“The best showcase for new performing arts in Philadelphia.” Phindie.com
NICE AND FRESH: THE GREAT WEST
New Works of Theater and Dance
Special WEST PHILLY Nice and Fresh curated by Automatic Arts resident artist Sarah Knittel
Friday December 1 at 7pm + 9pm
Saturday December 2 at 7pm + 9pm
Featuring new creations by
Anna Michael
Fred Brown
Betty Smithsonian
Lillian Ransijn
Josh McIlvain
Also including the talents of Christina Higgins, Taylor Plunket-Clemens, Travis Fischbach, and your host Sarah Knittel!
New short works of theater and dance!
Art Church of West Philadelphia
5219 Webster St, Philadelphia, PA 19143
(1 block from 52 + Baltimore)
Each performance is 8–12 minutes, entire show is 70 minutes.
Nice and Fresh showcases new works by Philadelphia-based (and beyond) theater, dance, and circus arts companies at unique venues. Each show features four artists/companies performing new and original 10- to 15-minute works in a variety of styles and artistic disciplines.
Artists need to create.
Performers need to perform.
Audiences need to see new work.
PAST 2017 Performances
Nice and Fresh: April
Friday April 28 at 6pm and 8pm
Saturday April 29 at 6pm and 8pm
Moving Arts of Mount Airy
6819 Greene Street (at Carpenter Lane)
Mount Airy, Philadelphia.
Audiences witnessed . . .
Balk (theater) Two dads hang out without the protection of their wives and kids. Performed by Ed Miller and Josh McIlvain, directed by Josh McIlvain, written by John Rosenberg of Hella Fresh Theater. peepSHOW(dance theater) A somatic exploration of the revealing. (Think about it.) Created + performed by Sarah Knittel and Lillian Ransijn The Presidents (theater) A power struggle at the Lodge over who gets to be which president in the Independence Day Parade. Performed by Mike Franz + Mark Wheeler, directed by Lexa Grace, written by Josh McIlvain of Automatic Arts. Research 2 (performance art) The collision of one’s sense of identity and change—whether in the world, relationships, or one’s own body. Created and performed by Irina Varina. Select Readings from the 1986 Amnesty International Report (reading) Exactly what it sounds like. Concept and music by Josh McIlvain, reading by Christopher Munden (Friday) and TBD (Saturday). Art by Chuck Schultz Visual artist Chuck Schultz will display a number of his images of performers, which he has created while watching performances.
Nice and Fresh: February
Audiences witnessed . . . Almanac Dance Theater Circus, featuring Joseph Ahmed, Emmanuel Becerra, Ben Grinberg, Evelyn Langley, Robin Stamey; Freshblood/KC Chun-Manning in collaboration with Camilla Dely; Asya Zlatina featuring Ashley Searles; Josh McIlvain/Automatic Arts featuring Ezekiel Jackson and Sara Vanasse; The Joseph Davenport Experience with musical accompaniment by Betty Smithsonian; Hosted by Sarah Knittel
Venue: Moving Arts of Mount Airy, Carpenter Lane at Greene Street, Mount Airy, Philadelphia.
Nice and Fresh: January
Friday January 13 at 6pm and 8pm, Saturday January 14 at 6pm and 8pm
Audiences witnessed . . .
My Big Fat Superman (storytelling) Created + Performed by Steve Lippe; Research (performance art) Created + Performed by Irina Varina, with additional choreography by Mira Treatman and Grace Mi-He Lee; Milk (dance) Choreography: Evalina “Wally” Carbonell
Dancers: Evalina Carbonell, Weiwei Ma, Keila Perez-Vega (Saturday only), Grace Stern The Recruits (theater/one act play) Features Sarah Knittel + Anna Michael, written + directed by Josh McIlvain, Automatic Arts.
Venue: Moving Arts of Mount Airy, Carpenter Lane at Greene Street, Mount Airy, Philadelphia
Automatic Arts 