Thomas Choinacky presents Forehand Down the Line March 27 – 29, 2020

Refocus your attention to just beyond the baseline. Forehand Down the Line is about the gestural interplay of tennis’ ball people, on March 27-29 at the Arden Theatre. Performing hidden, rigorous labor in professional tennis these speedsters are the support system to the efficiency of matches. Philadelphia’s vanguard of interdisciplinary performance Thomas Choinacky premieres this virtuosic dance calling attention to the subtle and off-kilter choreography of tennis’ unannounced workers. Forehand Down the Line highlights the agility, absurdity, and queer movement of ball people. This visual fantasia will shift your idea of “tennis champion.”

“Pure and sublimely ridiculous.” –Washington Post

WHAT: Forehand Down the Line
a new dance by Thomas Choinacky

WHEN: Friday, March 27, 2020 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, March 28, 2020 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, March 29, 2020 @ 3pm

WHERE: Studio Theatre @ the Arden Theatre Company
62 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

TICKETS: https://forehand.bpt.me/

COST: $15 for performance, $25 for performance and the artist book

CREATIVE TEAM:
Performers: Alexandra Espinoza, Azariah Baker, Mal Cherifi, Mira Treatman, Shizu Homma, and Ya-Ya Fairley

Production Team
Thomas Choinacky – Choreographer
Adriano Shaplin – Sound Design
Carmel Brown – Costume Design
Leslie Ann Boyden – Stage Management
Michael Lambui – Lighting Design

DETAILS:
As a queer, interdisciplinary artist Choinacky (he&they) has been creating avant-garde performances in Philadelphia since 2007. He/They has been the grantee of 1812 Productions’ Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program and has been awarded artist residencies nationally and in Europe. Choinacky is also an active member of Philadelphia GLTA (Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association) league. He/They founded SoLow Fest, an annual 11-day performance festival of solos. Forehand Down the Line garners a team of Philly’s up-and-coming queer, experimental performers including Alexandra Espinoza, Azariah Baker, Mal Cherifi, Mira Treatman, Shizu Homma, and Ya-Ya Fairley.

The show’s interdisciplinary aspects offers a companion artist book detailing this personal tennis archive beyond the performance itself.

Choinacky’s visual art practice integrates into this performance with his unusual tennis ball paintings as installation and set design. These paintings previous seen in exhibition in San Antonio (Equilibria) use tennis balls as painter’s tool, rather than a brush. Joining Choinacky are a radical, thoughtful design team including Adriano Shaplin, Carmel Brown, Leslie Ann Boyden, and Michael Lambui.