Join PCC’s Artistic Leadership Team – 

Nile Harris, Talvin Wilks, Mei Ann Teo, Jane Jung,

, for an evening that will open a portal to their thoughts and ideas around works-in-progress and artistic collaborations that are simmering, bubbling, and gushing forth.


, you are invited to an embodied celebration, a communion of food and discourse, to delve into the ever-expanding universe of PCC artistry. The evening will include a collective meal ritual with 

 – Oh will DJ an invitation to relax, uncage and rejoice in pure sonic ritualism and release which includes a Healing Brain Massage & Binaural Dance Party for ALL (including Introverts, Discretes, and Creatives).

Dress Code: 

 What you are most yourself in. The evening will include ASL interepretation.

Join us at 

, 55 Washington Square S, New York, NY on Tuesday, May 14th from 7 - 9:30pm. 

SPRING EVENT: A Communion, May 14 at Judson Memorial Church

Our new Artistic Leadership Team (PCC ALT), Nile Harris, Jane Jung, Mei Ann Teo, Talvin Wilks, Sara Zatz, will host an afternoon soiree  celebrating a new generation of performing arts leaders exploring legacy and transition on 

This interactive event will feature performances, food, and conversation that probes the complexities of artistic legacy and the future of new leadership in the New York City performance scene. Tickets are $10-25. 

The Artistic Leadership Team is rigorously exploring a vision for PCC's future as new directors are taking over the reins of various beloved New York City cultural institutions and arts organizations. For 

An Extra Ordinary Afternoon with Ping Chong and Company, 

we have brought together peers who are managing similar transitions for a generative conversation about the opportunities and challenges of their situations. 

Johnnie Cruise Mercer; Grace Galu; Diana Oh; 

a culinary studio that specializes in creating immersive food experiences and reimagining Caribbean cuisine.  

OPENING INVOCATION -Chanteuse Provocateur, Grace Galu

WELCOME - PCC ALT - Nile Harris, Jane Jung, Mei Ann Teo, Talvin Wilks, Sara Zatz

Mia Yoo (LA MAMA), Jonathan McCrory (NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE), Carl Hancock Rux (MABOU MINES/HARLEM STAGE), Ain Gordon (PICK-UP PERFORMANCE CO), Chanon Judson (URBAN BUSH WOMEN), Mame Diarra Spies (URBAN BUSH WOMEN)

Mei Ann Teo and Talvin Wilks, Moderators (PCC ALT)

PERFORMANCE TRANSITION - Mame Diarra/Chanon Judson (URBAN BUSH WOMEN)

Food Activation by DeVonn Francis, Chef and Founding Director of Yardy World

Johnnie Cruise Mercer - PCC Creative Fellow Alum

Nile Harris featuring Crackhead Barney, Malcolm-X Betts, and Geng PTP

OUTRO - Chanteuse Provocateur, Grace Galu

Please join us on Saturday, June 24th for this celebration of legacy, change, community and artistry!

An Extra Ordinary Afternoon with Ping Chong and Company, June 24 at La MaMa

a digital film created by Ping Chong, will screen at the 

. This new work, created in 2022, is  inspired by Ping's earlier theatrical work, 

(1994), which was part of a series known as The East/West Quartet. 

 connects the present day and the personal with an historical past still being felt today. The film’s narrative weaves personal reflections, music and song, with historical strands, such as the opium war, the building of the railroads across the USA, the murder of Vincent Chin, and the mythical birth of tea, among other things.

The screening will be followed by a talk back with the creators. 

Chinoiserie Redux screening at Asia Society on May 24

uplifts and shares real-life stories made by individuals from Reston, VA, reflecting on the challenges and joys of living in Reston during a time of pandemic and global upheaval.  

 (RCC), PCC was invited to bring together members of the community from diverse and intergenerational backgrounds to share their own stories and perspectives on what it means to be a Restonian. Cast members ranging in age from 14 to 57, reflect on Reston's unique history and utopian vision as the nation's first planned community, and what brought their families to Reston. The production addresses themes of healing, grief, growth, struggles with mental health and identity, the impact of COVID, and the search for community.

is written and directed by Sara Zatz, PCC's Associate Director and Artistic Leadership Team Member, and theatre artist Tuyết Thị Phạm in association with the cast (pictured above). 

Performances take place on Friday March 24th and Saturday March 25th at 8pm at the RCC Hunters Woods - the CenterStage. Tickets are $10 for Reston residents and $15 for non-Reston residents. 

Reserve tickets for the 3/25 performance here! 

 is an agency that offers thousands of positive, self-

development experiences that enhance the quality of life for all people living and working in Reston, VA. RCC provides a wide range of programs in arts, aquatics, enrichment and lifelong learning and also creates and sustains community traditions through special events, outreach activities and facility rentals.

In addition to the premiere of this new work, RCC will also host a 

. Participants will share, listen and learn about our individual and collective relationships to where we live and meet some of the Reston residents and cast members who are part of 

, where Ping will share his visually compelling body of work and lead a discussion about the evolution of his theatre work in relationship to the changes in contemporary arts and culture over the last 50 years.

Generations Rise: Reston premieres in Reston, VA on March 24 - 25

All Island Connect Underwater: A Celebration of Ping Chong and Bruce Allardice

Our tribute to Ping and Bruce and the artistic community that has been a part of their journey for fifty years was an experience beyond any other. As old and new friends gathered and an incredible lineup of performers and toasters shared the spotlights at the sold-out Chelsea Factory, we could feel the love and gratitude that filled the room.

Read all about the event and an interview with Ping, which was featured in the 

: "For A Pioneering Artist, the Joy of Having Done the Work His Way" by Laura Collins-Hughes. 

Here are some videos that we created for the occasion, tributes to Ping, Bruce and a glimpse of our future. These were edited by Satoko Sugiyama.

Ping Chong Tribute Video 

Bruce Allardice Tribute Video 

PCC: The Future

Thank you to Chinese Theatre Works, Fogo Azul, Muna Tseng, Meredith Monk, Jazz Passengers, and host Jessica Hagedorn for creating an evening beyond measure, and illustrating the transformative power of live performance; and to Mia Yoo, Melanie Joseph, Kim Chan, Amy Chin, Councilmember Gale Brewer for your tributes to Ping, Bruce and their partnership. 

Thank you to Chelsea Factory, our Production Team led by Bill Toles, Madison Lusby, Richie Clark, Alejandro Fajardo, Waymon Arnette, and our inimitable event producer Boo Froebel for creating a singular evening that encapsulated the spirit of PCC.

Thank you to our Board of Directors, our generous supporters, and all of you for showing your love and support for Bruce and Ping and our company.

We are entering the next chapter of Ping Chong and Company uplifted by your presence, energy and support. We can't wait to share all that's ahead with you.

s. 2nd from Top: Jane Jung. All Other Photos: Alexis Buatti-Ramos 

A Celebration of Ping Chong and Bruce Allardice! 

PCC and The New School’s Eugene Lang College and College of Performing Arts announce a 

 on February 3 and 4, 2023, celebrating the 30-year history of the company’s groundbreaking interview-based, community engaged, theater series 

 cast members, presenters, creative collaborators, producing partners and colleagues in the field of documentary theater to the university to lead courses, panels, and student workshops, culminating with an evening performance from a new work in progress, 

 is a series of interview-based theater productions by PCC that features local community members telling their own stories of place, identity, and belonging. Since 1992, over 65 

 productions have been made in communities across the country and around the world, exploring issues such as the experience of immigrants and refugees in the U.S., the experience of living with disability, Muslim American identity, and the experiences of survivors of sexual violence. Recent productions have looked at living with chronic illness and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth of color in New York City.

All events are free and open to the public. 

Click here for full schedule and more information. 

Real People, Real Lives, Real Theater: Celebrating 30 Years of Ping Chong and Company’s Undesirable Elements Symposium

 All Islands Connect Underwater: a Celebration of Ping Chong and Bruce Allardice

Ping and Bruce will retire from their leadership roles at the company at the end of 2022. In honor of their immeasurable impact and leadership, we will gather to celebrate their vision and artistry, and the artistic community they have cultivated over the past 50 years.  This event will take place on 

The celebration will bring together artists and other luminaries for a public tribute who have collaborated with or been supported by Ping and Bruce. 

 continues a season celebrating 50 years of impactful work by Ping, his 35-year partnership with Bruce, and 30 years of the company’s series of community-specific, interview-based works known as the

 series. The season kicked off with a sold-out run at La MaMa of

, a new reimagining of the production that set Chong’s boundary-shattering career in motion.

Over five decades, Ping has sustained a prolific career as a generative artist, leading the creation of over 110 original works that span artistic disciplines. Throughout his extraordinarily long artistic partnership with Bruce, they have collaborated to achieve and hone PCC’s vision of aesthetically rich, socially probing interdisciplinary theater.

All Islands Connect Underwater: A Celebration of Ping Chong and Bruce Allardice  

 series that shares the experiences of New York City BIPOC Teens during the pandemic, will premiere this Friday, November 5th at the New Victory Theater. This piece shares the real-life experiences of NYC teens as they reflect on the last year and a half and the impact of the pandemic and systemic inequality. 

Generation Rise Trailer 

Written and directed by Sara Zatz and Kirya Traber, 

 was created in collaboration with the storytellers: Johanni, Kenroy, Kilhah, Nathaniel, Sanaa and Serena and features additional performers: Kayla Bennett performing for Sanaa; Manny Dunn performing for Kenroy; and Matthew Martinez performing for Nathaniel. Lighting Design is by Marika Kent; Sound Design is by Megumi Katayama; and Stage Management is by Caren Celine Morris. 

Performances are from Friday, November 5 - Sunday November 14, 2021 at The New Victory Theater.

 All tickets are $25. Tickets and the full performance schedule are available 

 was created in Spring 2021 in partnership with 

, and will be available to rent on demand on the

Photo of Kilhah and Matthew by Alexis Buatti-Ramos, courtesy of New 42.
Video Courtesy of New 42. 

Generation Rise Premieres This Week at the New Victory Theater

Ping Chong and Company and Free Rein Projects are co-producing a 

, a new play by former Creative Fellow Jaime Sunwoo that uses SPAM, the canned meat, as a portal into her Asian American upbringing and her family's experiences of the Korean War.  It investigates SPAM's legacy in the military, its significance in the Asia-Pacific, and its influence on Asian cuisine through music, shadowplay, and cooking. Oscillating wildly between absurd humor and sober tragedy, 

is a thought-provoking exploration of one of America's most misunderstood foods. 

is written by Jaime Sunwoo and co-directed by Jaime Sunwoo and Karim Muasher. Music, Lyrics and Sound Design are by Matt Chilton; Lighting Design by Sarah Lurie; Prop/Puppet/Costume/Projection Graphic Ilustration by Jaime Sunwoo; Projection Design by Cinthia Chen; Music Direction by Adrianna Mateo; Technical Direction by Justin Perkins; Stage Management by Zoe-Eve Rhinehart; and Dramaturgy by Alex Lee. The cast features Adrianna Mateo, Vanessa Rappa, Juella Baltonado, Monica Goff, Sarah Shin, Eunji Lim, and Nathaniel Basch-Gould. 

This two week BRIClab residency will culminate with a work-in-progress presentation on October 7th and 8th at 7pm.

Read more about the project and presentation here. 

In addition to performances, Specially Processed American Me holds food history and storytelling workshops. On Saturday, October 9th from 3-4pm, Jaime Sunwoo and Ping Chong will be at hosting a casual community conversation about food and storytelling at 

 on Avenue B between 8th and 9th Streets. Stop by to share your story and to participate in performances and workshops with other Lower East Side artists.

Specially Processed American Me at BRIClab 

During the 2020/21 season, we were lucky to have Johnnie Cruise Mercer and Jaime Sunwoo in residence with the company as Creative Fellows . 

The Creative Fellowship launched in 2019 and invites early career multidisciplinary artists with a commitment to social justice to engage with PCC's archival body of work and methodologies; and receive mentorship and guidance on their career and creative goals. 

Each Creative Fellow received support to create a new work inspired by the PCC archive. 

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Fellowship took place almost entirely remotely, until the last few weeks in June 2021, when it became safer to gather in person again. At the end of the Fellowship, Artistic Director Ping Chong, Managing Director Jane Jung, and Creative Fellows Jaime Sunwoo and Johnnie Cruise Mercer met at at the Ping Chong and Company office, to hear culminating reflections from Jaime and Johnnie, and to have a conversation about their time with the company. 

Creative Fellowship 2021 | Culminating Reflections and Conversation

Creative Fellowship 2021: Culminating Reflections and Conversation 


With summer well underway, we take a moment to reflect back on the 2020-21 school year. The year demanded massive amounts of flexibility in navigating shifts in virtual learning, hybrid schedules, and in-person cohorts. We’ve been inspired by the adaptability, resourcefulness, and dedication with which students, teachers, administrators, and PCC’s 20 innovative teaching artists responded to the circumstances, creating meaningful forums for expression, creativity, and connection in a time of isolation for NYC’s students!

Ping Chong and Company’s education team rose to the challenge, reimagining our 

Secret Histories theatrical storytelling residencies 

across 16 classrooms to match the unique circumstances of each partner school.  As a result, 3rd-8th grade students at PS191, PS84, MS247, PS102Q, and PS91 worked virtually with teams of inspiring teaching artists to explore identity, culture, and sense of belonging and connection.  Whether at home or in the classroom, students built bonds and collaborated to transform their stories into original visual, film, audio, and virtual theater performances.

 Secret Histories Program Highlights 


This spring our education team piloted Ping Chong and Company’s first-ever Creative Aging program - a theatrical storytelling workshop series for older adults entitled 

Artful Storytelling: Our Meaningful Histories

 Offered in collaboration with the NYC Educational Alliance and three senior centers on the Lower East Side, and made possible by the Catalyzing Creative Aging Seed Grant from the National Guild for Community Arts Education, the program was designed to enhance quality of life for elders 55+ through creative expression, social connectivity, and making meaning of our personal & community histories.  Participants mounted a moving and meaningful live virtual performance on May 22, and the pilot’s success will be shared as a case study nationally during this July’s 

 hosted by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

Artful Storytelling: Our Meaningful Histories - "Fromings and Goings"


Our education team developed two unique theatrical storytelling curricula for educators this year:

, was created in partnership with New 42/New Victory Theater, inspired by our production of Generation NYZ which premiered there in 2018.  The resource guide, fully adaptable to virtual or in-person learning spaces, offers educators and caregivers tools for inspiring youth to develop community and unleash their powerful voices to the world!  Request access to the guide 

A second curriculum is in development inspired by our 2017  interdisciplinary theater production 

.  Created by PCC creative team members and Alaskan educators and culture bearers, in collaboration with the Lower Kuskokwim School District, the curriculum will offer social studies educators in Alaska a unique approach to studying the region’s histories through student creation of artistic expressions that acknowledge and celebrate their lived experiences as integral parts of Alaska’s evolving history.

As we grapple with recovery and re-emergence from COVID-19,  we look ahead to 21-22 and ask ourselves what role we can play in meeting school and community needs for healing, expression, and reconnection, no matter the age of our students.

Through these and other Ping Chong and Company programs, we remain committed to amplifying learner voices, holding space for community building, and using the tools of arts education to work toward more justice and equity in our learning and community spaces.

2020-21 Education Program Round Up

Process memoir 6: thenowlater (HEART) Prophecy
A charted quest inspired by the question, “What is the distance of love?”


Sunday, June 27th
East Village, Manhattan, NYC 
11am-2pm

 as we engage in small group activities, a street wide sing-a-long, and a facilitated dance jam-flash-mob happening!

, a group of 80 community members brought together to map out and collaboratively chart a journey launched from the question, "What is the distance of love?" This happening will be driven by inner sensation and outward embodiment.

 takes place during and celebrates NYC Pride Weekend, and will conclude with a performance-party premiering 

Registered participants will also receive a custom-made t-shirt and mask designed by TRPNYC Visual Makers Hannah Lazarte and Corbin Graves!

Creative Fellow-in-residence with PCC for the 2020/2021 season

.  PCC has supported the generation of a new work through this Fellowship, and this event is the final presentation of Johnnie's Creative Fellowship.

SCHEDULE: Sunday, June 27th, 11am - 2pm 


East Village, Manhattan, NYC 
Specific Location will be assigned upon registration

11:00am~11:30am — Registration/Ice Breaking Activities
11:30am~12:30 pm — Cohorts Chart their Journeys
12:30pm~1:00pm — Grace Period
1:00pm~1:30pm — Community Facilitated Activities; STREET SING A LONG; DANCE JAM & FLASH MOB
1:30pm~1:45pm — The Illustrious Blacks Happening/Performance-Party 
1:45pm~2:00pm — Closing Reflection and Collective Vision

Registration closes at Friday, June 25th at 11:59pm! 

Registration open for an Outdoor Community Future-Making Workshop & Performance Happening on Sunday, June 27th!

Six NYC Teens Share Their Real-Life Stories of 2020 in a new filmed virtual theater work created in partnership with Urban Word NYC and commissioned by New Victory Theater / New 42

 for a preview presentation of our latest

This filmed virtual theater work shares real-life stories of six Black and POC teenagers —bridging reflections on their early lives growing up in New York City with discussions of the significance of the year 2020-2021 —growing up during a global pandemic and renewed calls for racial justice.

We worked with young performers/storytellers to speak to the hardships and hopes of our shape-shifting, tumultuous present. Throughout the creative process, the youth—some of whom were performing in a theatrical work for the first time—collaborated with Sara Zatz and Kirya Traber

, and who compiled one-on-one interviews and collective conversations with performers into a dynamic script.

Fostering a deep sense of community among participants is fundamental to the 

 process—a particular challenge for remote theater-making. For this work, participants developed community agreements to nurture a sense of trust, sharing intimate stories and perspectives online—and having their words woven together into a single work. Cast members contributed to the editing and revision process, and had final approval over their respective parts of the script.

, the six teens also participated in Urban Word NYC’s poetry workshop, 

Generation Phoenix: Tales of Transformation

 (led by Darian Dauchan, award-winning poet, actor, and Loop Station Vice Champion of the American Beatbox Championships). This provided a space and opportunity to process, share, and explore personal experience in order to find community through the power of poetic storytelling and creative resilience.

The screening is hosted by Darian Dauchan. There will be a Q&A following the screening with the cast and creative team. The film is appropriate for ages 11 and up. 

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eiPF6s9JQ7-gjxPa8N1xqw

The film will remain available for one week after the event. Register 

 to view the film, available after the preview screening on Thursday.

Generation Rise Preview Screens on June 17th 

Here's to life! Join us on Saturday, May 22nd from 11am - 12pm on Zoom (link below) for 

, a poignant and powerful storytelling celebration in which 7 older adults with connections to the Lower East Side and East Village reflect on the experiences that shaped them in the past & present, and dream of their own power and possibility in the future.

This event marks the culmination of Ping Chong and Company's latest education program, 

 - a theatrical storytelling workshop series for ages 55+, offered in collaboration with the Educational Alliance and 3 senior centers on the Lower East Side.  

Designed to enhance quality of life for older adults through creative expression, social connectivity, and making meaning of our personal and community histories, the program concludes its pilot program with this moving and meaningful virtual performance.

Facilitated by Carly McCollow & Courtney Surmanek (PCC), with the support of Cory Herman (Ed Alliance).

Artful Storytelling was made possible by the Catalyzing Creative Aging seed grant from the National Guild for Community Arts Education which was funded, in part, by generous support from Aroha Philanthropies and the NAMM Foundation. The Catalyzing Creative Aging Program is presented by the National Guild for Community Arts Education in partnership with Lifetime Arts, and includes group training, one-on-one coaching, and funding.

Join us for a Creative Aging Event on May 22nd featuring LES and East Village stories

Ping Chong and Company announces two presentations by 2020/2021 Creative Fellows in residence with the company: 

Process memoir 6: thenowlater (HEART), PROPHECY by 

Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC and 

Jaime Sunwoo and Johnnie Cruise Mercer are Creative Fellows in residence with Ping Chong and Company for the 2020/2021 season. As part of their Fellowship, PCC has supported the generation of a new work by each artist, which we will present in June 2021.

Nearly 50 years ago, when Ping Chong started making performance work, he created an artistic home by establishing Ping Chong and Company. This artistic home has been a place of mentorship and creativity for many artists over the years; and we deepen this commitment through the Creative Fellowship. The Fellowship engages artists to learn from the body of PCC’s work and methodologies; and receive mentorship and guidance on their career and creative goals. These new projects are generated from research and engagement with the Ping Chong and Company production archive.

Johnnie Cruise Mercer and Jaime Sunwoo have been in creative conversation with each other, and with the company over the course of the Fellowship. Their weekly conversation can be viewed every Friday at 1pm on @pingchongco’s Instagram Live, and each month they share artistic reflections on the @pingchongco Instagram and Facebook pages.

, PCC will host a panel event with the Fellows who will discuss their projects and the Fellowship, which will be shared via our website and social media in early July.

We are so excited to be sharing this new work from the Creative Fellows and hope you can join us in June! Save the date and stay tuned for more details about registration.

**Update on May 18, 2021: The online screening for Color Theory has been postponed and will be held at a later date in 2021.**

Process memoir 6: thenowlater (HEART), PROPHECY


Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC
Sunday, June 27th, 11am – 2pm
Outdoor community event at East 11th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenue

Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC will facilitate a charted quest inspired by the question, “What is the distance of love?”

 is a celebration of East Village performance history, taking whomever it carries through time, in reflection together, during Pride Weekend!

This outdoor community event will include opportunities to draw, feel, listen, digest, and exhale in a collaboratively facilitated future-making session. The session will conclude with a live performance and participation in the creation of a new music video of “Cloud 9” by The Illustrious Blacks! 

. This event is a part of NYC Open Streets.


Johnnie Cruise Mercer is a queer-black think-maker, freelance-performer, educator and social entrepreneur based in New York City. As the Company Director of Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, his processes/work has been shared and/or hosted by 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, Dixon Place, Danspace Project Inc, The Fusebox Festival, Mana Contemporary, The NADA Conference, Abrons Arts Center, and most recently at The Clarice Performing Arts Center's The BlackLight Summit. Johnnie is currently a 2020-2021 Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and New Dance Alliance (through their Black Artists Space to Create Residency curated by Angie Pittman). Follow him (and his company) on Instagram to find out more about his current projects, and works: @jcruisem/@jcm_redprojectnyc

The online screening and conversation with the artists is postponed and will be held at a later date in 2021. 

 is a short film that examines the perception of color throughout the history of Western art, culture, and science as a subtext for how we perceive race. 

 critiques how white institutional gatekeepers often use people of color as accessories to justify oppressive systems. The script is sourced from found texts, primarily from David Batchelor’s books 

, which explores the fear of color and the glorification of white in Western art.


Jaime Sunwoo is a Korean American multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, New York working in visual art, theater, film, and public art. Her works connect personal narratives to global histories through surreal storytelling. She studied art at Yale University, and was a fellow for The Laundromat Project for socially engaged art. Her project 

 has received awards from Queens Council on the Arts, Asian Women Giving Circle, NYC Women's Fund, Brooklyn Arts Fund, and The Jim Henson Foundation. She is currently a Ping Chong and Company Creative Fellow. More at 

2021 Creative Fellowship Presentations 

Happy Spring from PCC! We have a lot of exciting online and outdoor in-person offerings coming up in May and June.

To celebrate the launch of our new website and online archive of interdisciplinary works, we are hosting a virtual screening of two short filmed dance works by Ping Chong: 

 (2017), followed by a conversation between Ping Chong and PCC Board Member Kim Chan on 

In addition to the productions we will be presenting this Spring, our education program is in underway and in full swing at five NYC public schools and we also launched a new Creative Aging program thanks to the support of the Catalyzing Creative Aging Program. This spring, Ping is also shooting a new video work, 

x, a new adaptation of the staged music theatre work 

Check back for more details on specific dates, times and event registration information!

22 Square Miles of Soul: Voices of Orange

 is a new documentary theatre production which will premiere virtually at 

 in May 2021. Part of Ping Chong and Company’s 

eries, the piece features the real life experiences of local individuals who grew up in Orange, New Jersey. Bearing witness to the different social, political, and economic forces that shaped the community over the course of the last century, and juxtaposing personal impact, resistance, and resilience in the face of historic disinvestment, 

2.2 Square Miles of Soul: Voices of Orange

 fosters a strong sense of community pride, and deeper understanding between and among Orange and surrounding communities.

is a filmed virtual theater work, sharing real-life stories of six New York City teenagers, ages 16-19, during the year 2020. This new work in the 

series focuses on the voices and experiences of Black and POC teens from across New York City reflecting on their early lives prior to 2020, and the significance of a year of growing up during a global pandemic and renewed calls for racial justice. 

 is written and directed by Sara Zatz and Kirya Traber (co-creators of Generation NYZ), with visual direction by Richard Louissaint. It is commissioned by the

. Generation Rise will preview in June 2021, followed by an online premiere by the New Victory in Fall 2021.

Creative Fellowship Presentation: Process memoir 6: thenowlater (Heart)

, is a free outdoor community dance event curated as an ode to unconditional love, deeper listening, and spiritual freedom. Company members will lead attendees through self-guided movements while futuristic Go-Go music duo 

 will provide music, in celebration of East Village performance history and Pride Weekend. Johnnie Cruise Mercer and theredprojectnyc will be organizing outdoor events throughout the month of June in collaboration with PCC, New Dance Alliance, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange. The community dance event will take place outdoors on June 27th, at East 11th Street, 11am-2pm, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, as part of NYC Open Streets. 

 is a short film that examines our perception of color in science, art, and culture as a subtext for how we perceive race. 

 critiques how institutional gatekeepers often use people of color as accessories to justify oppressive systems The script is sourced from found texts, and inspired by David Batchelor’s book 

, which explores the Western art world’s fear of color and glorification of the color white. A free one-time virtual screening and Q&A with the artists, organized by PCC, will take place on Tuesday, June 29th at 7pm.

Spring 2021 Happenings at PCC 

To celebrate the launch of our new website and online archive of interdisciplinary works, PCC will be hosting a virtual screening of two short filmed dance works by Ping Chong: 

Choreography figures heavily in many of Ping Chong's theater works, but these two filmed performances are rare examples of pure dance works.  Following the screening, Ping Chong and PCC Board Member Kim Chan, who has worked as a dance curator and producer and was formerly on the Bessies Committee, will be in conversation about the interdisciplinary nature of Ping Chong's body of work and the importance of engaging archival works. 

Kim Chan is the Deputy Director at National Sawdust. She has worked extensively in New York City and Washington, D.C. as an arts worker in multiple art forms and aesthetic traditions including poetry, music, theater, dance, arts education, and literature. She served on the New York Dance and Performance Awards Bessies Committee for six years and was a dance curator for 18 years at Washington Performing Arts in D.C. She is a board member for Ping Chong + Company and Pick-Up Performance Co(s). She has also served on the board at APAP, La Pocha Nostra, and Dance Place. Prior to joining National Sawdust, she produced the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature for PEN America and worked at the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation, Harlem School of the Arts, and APAP.