Choreographer and performer Annalee Traylor (Dance MFA 23) premieres her evening-length contemporary dance theater work, this thing is real, this weekend at Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta. Presented at one of the city’s most prominent hubs for innovative artistic concepts and contemporary performance, the production also continues a collaborative relationship that began at CalArts.
Described by Goat Farm as “an anthropological looking-glass of sorts,” this thing is real simulates a day in the life before quickly unraveling expectations. The work “draws audiences into a surreal psychosphere where nothing is quite as it seems. Exuberant. Irreverent. And tragic. Traylor celebrates the complexities of being human in this darkly humorous tragicomedy. As the grotesque emerges, unexpected beauty is revealed in the rawest human moments, conjuring an experience that is as provocative as it is poetic.”
The piece originated in 2023 during Traylor’s year-long Emory Arts Fellowship and involves fellow CalArts alum Drew Sensue-Weinstein (Music MFA 23) as collaborator and performing sound designer. “I’m proud and honored to have Drew on this project, and I am grateful to continue our collaborative working relationship long after our time together at CalArts,” Traylor shared.
The production has received early praise. ArtsATL described it as “absolutely breathtaking and just a little bit dangerous.”
Watch the trailer for this thing is real below:
Traylor’s this thing is real premieres Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6, at 8:30 pm at Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster St. NW, Atlanta, GA. The 60-minute performance, recommended for ages 13 and older, has no intermission. Tickets are available through Goat Farm.
— by Tim Hammill
