JAMES WHITESIDE TO STAR IN WORLD PREMIERE OF "THE TENANT"
Company:
Choreographer: Arthur Pita
JAMES WHITESIDE TO STAR IN WORLD PREMIERE OF
THE TENANT
The Joyce Theater Debut, with Choreography by Arthur Pita, Includes American Ballet Theatre Soloist Cassandra Trenary and Freelance Artist Kibrea Carmichael
James Whiteside, ballet’s most daring principal artist known for his theatrical and technical versatility, will star in The Tenant, a unique dance play based on the novel by Roland Topor, at The Joyce Theater, November 6-11. Directed by London based choreographer Arthur Pita, Whiteside, in his portrayal of the protagonist Trelkovsky, will be joined by his American Ballet Theater colleague Cassandra Trenary, playing the role of Simone Choule, and Kibrea Carmichael, as Stella. Set in Paris in the near future, Trelkovsky rents an unassuming room where the previous tenant, Simone Choule, has committed suicide by jumping out the window. Becoming fascinated by the previous tenant, the work follows Trelkovsky’s demise down a psychological paranoia spiral, ultimately succumbing to the same fate.
Exploring the psychic terrain of identity, paranoia, fear, hysteria, obsession and possession, The Tenant is a dance play, set to the soundscape of Frank Moon, merging together contemporary and pedestrian movement, marked by a highly stylized vernacular. Topor’s novel—later made into a film in 1976, starring and directed by Roman Polanski—is seasoned with mature themes, violence, drug use, nudity and explicit language. The Tenant, which has been in development for two years, will create a cinematic atmosphere to pay homage to Topor’s literature.
“I have been wanting to explore this piece for years,” explains choreographer Arthur Pita. “When I met with James I immediately felt he was a perfect fit for the character of Trelkovsky. The Tenant is so rich in its disturbing and provocative themes. I am so excited to witness this dynamic cast execute a profound journey.”
“This is not a vanity project,” explains Whiteside. “I’ve dreamed of doing a contemporary project at the Joyce— this standalone show has given me a rare and terrifying opportunity. I hope all will join me on this sparkling yet harrowing journey.”
Produced by Joyce Theater Productions, The Tenant is commissioned and created, in part, with the support of The Joyce’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work and its Artist Residency Center, made possible by lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
A curtain chat will be held following the performance on Wednesday, November 7.
TICKETS AND VENUE INFORMATION
Tickets for The Tenant are $75, $50, and $20, and can be purchased by telephone at 212-242-0800 or online at https://joyce.org/node/5141.
The Joyce Theater is located in Chelsea at 175 Eighth Avenue and accessibly by the 1, A, C, E, and L trains.
REPERTORY DETAILS
The Tenant | World Premiere
Choreography: Arthur Pita
Starring: James Whiteside
Supporting cast: Cassandra Trenary & Kibrea Carmichael
Music: Frank Moon (new score)
Lighting: Burke Wilmore
Costumes: Reid Bartelme & Harriet Jung
Set design : Arthur Pita
Associate set design: Maria Koutsouna & Arthur Pita
Production Manager : William Knapp
Artistic Assistant: Nina Goldman
Length: ~80 minutes
Award-winning choreographer and director Arthur Pita joins forces with sensational American Ballet Theatre principal James Whiteside to present The Tenant. Based on the novel by surrealist Roland Topor and set in Paris in the near future, this dance play, which also features ABT soloist Cassandra Trenary, chronicles a harrowing and fascinating descent into madness brought to life by acclaimed ballet stars.
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ABOUT JAMES WHITESIDE
Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, James Whiteside is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. He joined ABT in 2012 as a soloist and was promoted to a principal one season later. Prior to ABT, he danced with Boston Ballet from 2002-20012, moving from the studio company to principal over the 10-year tenure. Throughout his professional career, he has performed the works of Balanchine, Cranko, Kylian, Macmillan, Ratmansky, Tudor, and Tharp, originating roles in Ratmansky’s Serenade After Plato’s Symposium, Harlequinade, and Chamber Symphony for American Ballet Theatre. Whiteside's dance training began at age nine studying jazz, tap, and ballet at the D'Valda & Sirico Dance Centre and, later, continued ballet training at the Virginia School of the Arts. James Whiteside is also known for his theatrical personas JbDubs, pop-dance artist, and Ühu Betch, part of the hilarious drag posse The Dairy Queens.
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