Set in a brothel, Jean Genet's play, The Balcony -- which our immersive production references -- explores themes related to power, patriarchy, identity, and illusion... functioning as a metaphor for the theatrical nature of politics and the masks people wear in society. Characters assume various roles and personas, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

For details, visit ritualcabaret.org

Poster: Si Golraine and Emma Pesin
Photo: Si Golraine

THE ORIGIN OF CONEY ISLAND RITUAL CABARET, now in its seventh year, is informed by dancer/ choreographer Tatsumi Hijikata who co-originated butoh in 1960s Japan in an effort to defy and subvert authority, including conventional notions of dance, thereby seeking transformation -- on the personal, societal and human level. Hijikata embraced the zeitgeist of Tokyo's underground and the Europe-influenced avant-garde arts scene comprised of neo-Dadaism, Fluxus, German Expressionism, Surrealism, and Existentialism. During the day, he trained his dancers by inventing body rituals towards a revolutionary dance form. At night the group then experimented with bringing their exploration into the competitive marketplace of cabaret/burlesque. Inspired by this historical reference, in 2016 ICL founded a butoh-, theatre- and performing-arts festival at Coney Island USA. After three years of directing ensemble workshops and performances for the Festival, Mexico-based Diego Piñón (of Body Ritual Movement) coined the term Ritual Cabaret for work that sought to marry ritualistic physical theater with cabaret, burlesque and sideshow on the CIUSA stage.