“See the work of Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar whenever possible.” (New York Times)
When Big Dance Theater’s Another Telepathic Thing debuted in 2000, director Jonathan Demme was on hand to film the “elegant and haunting” production (Village Voice). Choreographed by Annie-B Parson and directed by Paul Lazar, it deftly intercuts songs and dialogue based on real Hollywood auditions with Mark Twain’s “The Mysterious Stranger,” in which a charismatic visitor shatters the peace of a 16th-century village by conjuring diabolic wonders. Crafted with “a theatrical eye, choreographic nerve, and an unerring sense of narrative.” (Backstage)
Founded in 1991, Big Dance Theater is known for its inspired use of dance, music, text, and visual design. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar, Big Dance has delved into the literary work of such authors as Twain, Tanizaki, Wellman, Euripides, and Flaubert, and dance is used as both frame and metaphor to theatricalize these writings. Big Dance Theater received New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Awards in 2002 and 2010; the company was awarded an OBIE in 2000.
