M&M Productions and Torn Space Theater's "American Grain," has officially sold out. The event will bring the talent of local contemporary artists to a unique performance venue--the haunting Marine A complex grain elevator located in the heart of Silo City, and those lucky enough to purchase tickets early on are in for a treat.
"One of the great iconic buildings in a city filled with them, Marine A, is taking on new life as a venue for the performing arts," said Mark Goldman of M&M Productions. "The idea emerged from my notion of integrating Buffalo's rich architectural tradition with its rich tradition of cutting edge art. By drawing on the talents of the leading contemporary artists in our community and by placing their work in one of our most iconic structures, we are creating a marriage that will last."
For those who have tickets, the show will be broken down into five time slots, with audiences following the artists as they perform in sequential silos. Groups are capped at 45 people per performance, as space is limited within each of the silos. Because of this restriction, the performance will be repeated several times throughout the evening for each separate group. The first will begin at 6 p.m. with subsequent performances unfolding until 10:30 p.m.
The viewing slots for the earlier performances have been booked, but that shouldn't discourage you from attending, as an opportunity to witness the final performance unfold will be open to the public. "There will be lawn chairs spread out on the grounds in front of the towering facade of Marine A," said Goldman. ""On that wall we will be displaying the whole last performance, live from inside. Following that we will be projecting across the whole "screen" of Marine A, a whole series of experimental videos dealing in abstract terms with the architecture of Buffalo."
Featured performers include the event's co-producers, Dan Shanahan and Melissa Meola of Torn Space Theater, as well as lighting artists Brian Milbrand, Carlie Todaro-Rukus, and John Rukus. Also performing will be Jonathan Golove and Matt Sargent from the UB School of Music and the Morris Center for 21st Century Music, who composed the pieces they will be playing specifically for this historic site.
The outside projection will begin at 9:25 p.m. Audiences are encouraged to bring what they need to be comfortable with them to the site, which is located at 20 Childs Street, just off Ohio Street. There will also be a cash bar available. For more information, call 716-812-5733 or visit www.tornspacetheater.com.
Very cool.