The Verbatim Performance Lab (VPL) announced a new performance project, scheduled for April 26, that explores academic freedom and freedom of expression at NYU called Not Sure If I’m Free To.
More than 100 interviews were conducted with students, faculty, staff, and alumni throughout October, November, and December 2024. NYU students working alongside VPL’s creative team helped to select sections of the interviews that respond to the following questions:
How do people studying and working at New York University experience freedom of expression and academic freedom?
How can New York University cultivate an environment that encourages freedom of expression and academic freedom without silencing differing opinions and diverse voices?
The NYU community and general public will hear excerpts from these interviews in 3 differently styled investigations:
Option 1: Self-Discovery Investigation 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M
Participants can sort through excerpts of the interviews at their leisure, make connections, draw conclusions, and converse with the artistic team about their process. (Think interactive museum exhibit)
Option 2: Collaborative Making Investigation 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to read and voice excerpts from the interviews and will put those excerpts in conversation with each other to create a dialogue. (Think interactive workshop)
Option 3: Performance Investigation 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
This performance will feature 16 voices from the interviews set in a community forum where the audience will hear excerpts read by actors trained in verbatim performance techniques. Audience members can choose to “sit at the table” with these voices or sit outside and observe the conversation unfold.
Location:
John A. Paulson Center, 181 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012, in Room 620.
Admission is free and open to the NYU community and general public. Registration is required.
What is Verbatim Performance?
Verbatim performance is the precise portrayal of an actual person using their exact speech and gestural patterns as a data source for investigation, literally “word for word” & “gesture for gesture.” Read more about verbatim performance and the VPL mission statement.