BY SCOTT STIFFLER | DANCE: “HUANG YI & KUKA”
Although cell phones and flat screen TVs are old news, the long-promised sentient androids of science fiction have yet to make an appearance. But we do have robots toiling away on assembly lines, whose precision and fluidity rarely falters or wanes. Might they, with proper motivation, aspire to use those qualities for artistic expression rather than mindless servitude? Taiwanese dancer, choreographer and inventor Huang Yi, who grew up watching his parents teach tango, spent much of his childhood longing for a robot companion. In this graceful blend of modern dance, visual art and automation technology, Huang plays Geppetto to a German-made KUKA industrial robot — endowing it with lifelike expressive abilities and asking his audience to consider the implications of collaboration between humans and robots. Developed over a three-month period, it’s the first residency from QA Ring — an international consortium focused on creating and touring digital performance art. See Huang’s website (huangyi.tw) for video clips from Phase I of this project, as well as other works that utilize the music of Bach (whose Partita for solo violin, along with original material by Ryoichi Kurokawa, comprise the “Kuka” soundtrack).
Feb. 11–17. Wed.–Fri. at 8 p.m. Sat./Sun. at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m. Mon./Tues. at 8 p.m. At 3LD Art and Technology Center (80 Greenwich St. at Rector St.). For tickets ($30), call 866-811-4111 or visit 3ldnyc.org.
NO NAME COMEDY/ VARIETY’S 21st ANNIVERSARY SHOWS
What’s better than a cheap laugh? A free one — in the form of a well-constructed punchline, an absurd song or a lusty anecdote from the memoir of a hard-living veteran comic. You’ll get all of this at any given installment of producer Eric Vetter’s “No Name Comedy/Variety Show,” which never charges a cover or requires the purchase of a drink (a good idea, though, considering the Tiki bar setting). As for the modest title, don’t think you’re walking into some rinky-dink amateur showcase. The folks behind the mic are well-known on the NYC comedy circuit — and this month, “No Name” celebrates its 21st anniversary with some of its most familiar faces. The Feb. 13 lineup includes podcaster Liam McEneaney (tyfpodcast.tumblr.com). On Feb. 20, alt-folk singer-songwriter Jessica Delfino (founder of the New York Annual Funny Songs Fest) and storytelling author Michele Carlo (“Fish Out Of Agua”) are among the guests. Stay for 9 p.m. music sets. House band The Summer Replacements play soul, R&B and originals on Feb. 20, with their guitarist Jordan Okrend doing a solo set of original tunes the previous week.
Fri. Feb. 13 & 20, 7 p.m. at Otto’s (538 E. 14th St. btw. Ave. A & B). No cover, no minimum. For info, call (212) 228-2240 or visit ottosshrunkenhead.com.
REBEL THEATER COMPANY PRESENTS “BLACK FOOTNOTES”
What’s been glossed over, misappropriated or simply consigned to history gets the front-and-center placement it deserves, in Rebel Theater Company’s social justice-minded productions. Last year’s Black Panther Party-themed “Othello” and Hurricane Katrina-infused “Salome” burned on all cylinders and worked on many levels, with playwright/director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj filling Nuyorican Poets Cafe with an extraordinarily nuanced ensemble of charismatic young actors — many of whom are among the 34 who tell the story of “Black Footnotes,” which chronicles the lives and achievements of female African-American scientists. Rebel Theater returns to the Nuyorican in April, with Adam Mace and Kaitlyn Schirard’s Dixie-set adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Black Footnotes” is performed Feb. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 & 12 at 7 p.m. Feb. 8, 12 & 14 at 3 p.m. At Nuyorican Poets Cafe (236 E. Third St. btw. Ave. B & C). Admission is $20 if purchased online, and $25 at the door ($15 for students and seniors, at the door). For reservations and info, visit nuyorican.org or call 212-780-9386. Find artist info at rebeltheater.com.
