Creative Tech Week

It is seventeen minutes past midnight, Oceanic Time. You’re sitting in a theater of sorts – a show is about to begin – there is an occasional flicker of light – a sonic shudder - an atmosphere of electronic energy - you look down at the program in your hand, black letters spell the words Why Why Always... 

In this sci-fi misadventure of secret agents and seductresses, where Godard's Alphaville meets ASMR - mesmeric whispers fill the air, lighters flash, linens are folded, and a super computer is foiled. Why Why Always conjures a live cine-performance through the interplay of otherworldly video, music, sound and technology. 

Created and Conceived by Shaun Irons and Lauren Petty 
Performers (live): Jim Fletcher, Saori Tsukada, Laura Bartczak, Marion Spencer 
Performers (video): Scott Shepherd, Madeline Best 
Narration: Christina Campanella 
Additional music and voices: Brian Rogers, Olivier Conan 
Media and live-processing: Shaun Irons & Lauren Petty 
Props & Costume Design: Amy Mascena 

Shaun Irons and Lauren Petty are Brooklyn based multi-platform artists who make multidisciplinary performances, dynamic media installations, single-channel works, documentaries and interactive video scores for live performance. Recently, they created a multidisciplinary performance called Keep Your Electric Eye On Me, which was commissioned by HERE in NYC. In addition, they recently completed Standing By: Gatz Backstage a feature-length, atmospheric documentary portrait of Elevator Repair Service’s acclaimed theatrical event Gatz, and developed a self-generating, video/sound installation called Atmospheres & Accidental Ghosts. Shaun and Lauren’s work has been exhibited in diverse locations nationally and internationally including BAM’s Next Wave Festival, The Brooklyn Museum, Abrons Arts Center, The Chocolate Factory, BEAT Festival, and Anthology Film Archives in NYC, REDCAT (Los Angeles), ZSpace (San Francisco) the Center for Contemporary Art (Santa Fe) and Rencontres Paris/Berlin, Tokyo Wonder Site and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana. Their video design has been seen at St. Ann’s Warehouse, The Public Theater, The Kitchen, HERE, PS 122, EMPAC, the Pompidou Center, Prototype Festival, Holland Dance Festival, the Venice Biennale, and BAM. They have received numerous awards and creative residencies in support of their work. 

Why Why Always is made in part with support from New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artists program (Film, Media, New Technology Production and Theater Commission) with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.