Artist in Residence: The Civilians: Fantastic Flops & Fiascos
Artist in Residence
Originally Aired: Monday, May 15, 2023
Overview
Everyone faces failure at some point in their lives, and we want to shine a light on those moments! For the third and final installment of their Artist in Residence program, acclaimed theater group The Civilians will transform your flops and fiascos (bad dates, projects gone wrong, etc.) into a one-of-a-kind performance. Here is what to expect:
Phase 1: The Brian Lehrer Show will prompt listeners to call in and share their failures and flops.
Phase 2: Actors and composers will turn those failures into performances and songs.
Phase 3: Actors will perform these stories and songs live on stage.
Hear real stories of failure and flops come to life through hilarious songs and unforgettable performances!
Founded in 2001, The Civilians is dedicated to ambitious and exuberant new theater that creatively interrogates our lived experience; questions and tests the stories that shape our world; and awakens new thinking and perceptions. Its signature work is “investigative theater”—projects created through field research, community collaborations, and other methods of in-depth inquiry. Shows originated with The Civilians include Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, cited by The New York Times as the “4th Best Play of the Past 25 Years,” and Lucas Hnath’s Dana H., recently on Broadway and included in Top 10 of 2021 lists by The New York Times and Time magazine. Other shows include José Rivera’s Another Word for Beauty, and many works with composer Michael Friedman: Gone Missing, Pretty Filthy, Paris Commune, and more.
The Civilians has participated in several BAM Next Wave Festivals, has been produced at many major regional and Off-Broadway theaters, and was the first theater company to be Artist-in-Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. With Ghostlight Records, The Michael Friedman Recording Project is creating nine albums of our founding member’s works. The company sustains a number of artistic programs including new work development, a cabaret series for new musicals, the R&D Group new work lab, the online journal Extended Play, and more.