Live & in-person at JCC’s Hart Theatre for 3 performances
Rochester, NY (August 20, 2021) – Rochester’s internationally renowned PUSH Physical Theatre will perform live and in-person for the first time in more than a year and a half at the tenth annual KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival (September 14-25) at the CenterStage Theatre at JCC’s Hart Theatre (1200 Edgewood Ave.) for three performances: Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7 PM; Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 PM; and Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 PM. Tickets for PUSH Physical Theatre: Generic Male are $20 (students w/ ID: $16) and are available now at rochesterfringe.com. Remaining tickets will also be available at the door one hour prior to curtain.
The official description of the show states: “Explosive, athletic, visceral physical theatre ruined by a tragic lack of understanding, Generic Male is a world premiere by award-winning PUSH Physical Theatre…a satire about clinging to the status-quo. Are we watching a couple of petty idiots or is this the most insightful piece of theatre of the 21st century? No. ‘Just what we need – another show about men,’ raves no one.”
The new work features PUSH Founding Artistic Co-Director Darren Stevenson and PUSHer Ashley Jones in a send-up of masculinity that also raises some serious questions.
“While Generic Male pokes fun at male privilege, it also addresses toxic masculinity – cultural norms that are associated with harm to society and men themselves due to their promotion of violence,” explains Stevenson. “As always with PUSH, we’re raising questions with which we ourselves are grappling in order to provoke thought and conversation in our audience.”
Stevenson and Jones began working on the piece pre-COVID and are now in intense rehearsals for its debut. They will invite community input at a free, work-in-progress event on Thursday, August 26 at 5:30 PM at Hochstein Performance Hall.
Each of their Fringe performances will be followed by some kind of free, audience interaction as well. Both Saturday shows will include a special 20th anniversary meet-and-greet reception with the company at the JCC.
PUSH’s Thursday performance will include an audience talk-back immediately following the 8:30 PM performance of Josie & Grace, a new work from the creators of the hit off-Broadway show, Josephine, that explores the real-life friendship between Josephine Baker and Grace Kelly. The two productions will host a collaborative, post-show discussion of gender and race.
“Getting feedback from audiences is a very important part of our creative process,” explains Jones, who – like Stevenson – hails from the U.K., where physical theatre is much more prevalent. “Our entire process is collaborative rather than the more common practice of a choreographer “setting” their work on a company.”
More about the performers:
Darren Stevenson (Founding Artistic Co-Director, PUSHer), born in England and now a proud U.S. citizen, met PUSH co-founder and wife Heather Stevenson during their studies at The Center in St. Louis. Both went on to study with Several Dancers Core in Atlanta and The Goldston & Johnston School for Mimes at Kenyon College. “Darren Stevenson has developed a physical ability that makes the art look easy,” remarked Greg Goldston. In Atlanta, the Stevensons founded The Studio School of the Arts, a community training center. In 2000, they relocated to Rochester, where PUSH Physical Theatre was born. Rather than relying on their trained movement vocabulary, PUSH was formed from a shared belief that each performer should bring their unique life experiences to the stage. Darren has also spoken about PUSH’s unique creative process at TEDx Rochester.
Ashley Jones (PUSHer) is a physical actor, deviser, and director. He trained at Rose Bruford College and Academia Teatro Dimitri before going on to train with Phillipe Gaulier and Angela De Castro in theatrical clowning. As a physical performer, Ashley has worked and trained with international theatre companies Gecko Physical Theatre, The David Glass Ensemble, Nonsuch Theatre, and Frantic Assembly. His recent devised work includes: LifeHack (2019), Intotheclouds (2018), The Party’s Over (2017), Eclipse (2017), and The Russian Play (2017). Directing credits include Rite of Passage (2015, 2016), EnCircled (2019), and TILT (2019). Ashley would like to thank the generous support of the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts.
About PUSH Physical Theatre: Founded in Rochester, NY in 2000 by husband-and-wife team, Darren and Heather Stevenson, out of a desire to “push” the boundaries of conventional theatre, PUSH Physical Theatre has since earned an international reputation as one of the U.S.’s leading physical theatre companies. Recently featured in acclaimed collaborations with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ying Quartet, and Pulitzer Prize-nominated composer Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon’s two multi-media operas (Comala and No Se Culpe with fellow composer Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez), PUSH has also produced its own full-length works including DRACULA, Jekyll & Hyde, and Arc of Ages. Additionally, its wide-ranging repertory includes many shorter works such as “Red Ball,” a hilarious take on the interplay between the real and virtual worlds using iPad technology. Known for intense athleticism, gravity-defying acrobatics, and soulful artistry, PUSH has been called “a perfect metaphor-in-motion” by CITY and “a rare treat” by NY Theatre Guide. PUSH was a season finalist on TruTV’s national series, Fake Off, a competition/reality show featuring what producers dubbed “the captivating art of ‘faking’” – a mix of theatre, acrobatics, and illusion. Their performances caused judge and Glee star Harry Shum Jr. to exclaim: “You guys are superhuman!” These masters of physical storytelling have received the Community of Color/Anton Germano Dance Award, the Performing Artist of the Year Award from the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, and the University of Rochester’s Lillian Fairchild Award. In addition to a busy touring schedule, PUSH is passionate about arts-in-education programs and runs a summer intensive for adult students from all over the world.
Media please note: Additional Generic Male high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video are available here, with general PUSH assets here: pushtheatre.org/media-kit. Interviews and photo/footage opportunities are available as well. Reviewers only may request comp tickets at: rochesterfringe.formstack.com/forms/press_comp_requests.
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