Cat Rodriguez in “Circle Jerk.”
➤ CIRCLE JERK, from p.26
FAKE FRIENDS
re-establish their canceled online presence
through an artifi cially created meme character,
“Circle Jerk” incisively critiques a culture
where attention is a currency and value comes
not from what one does but how one is consumed.
The piece is streamed from from MITU580,
a location in Brooklyn’s Gowanus, and the
audience is treated to backstage shots as the
actors switch characters or go to the various
locations in the space. We see the backs of the
cellphones used for pieces of the video, as well
as the ring lights that are essential totems of
the self-curated. This approach is both utilitarian
and serves as commentary — and one
dares not look away from the screen at the risk
of missing some well-conceived detail.
By this point in the pandemic, there’s no
question that art and, especially, theater are
being transformed even as they can’t be suppressed
or put on hold. Just as the young playwrights
of the mid-20th century often used the
theater against itself to make artistic and political
points, it’s exciting to see a new generation
of what we now, sadly and without irony,
call “content creators” use the engagement with
— some might even say addiction to — online
platforms as a tool of expression and criticism.
What these younger artists have in common
with their progenitors is the radical assault
on form intended to skewer the shallow shibboleths
of an established form as a metaphor
for a larger corruption of the spirit that results
in a kind of death.“Circle Jerk” is angry, alive,
hilarious, and challenging. It is cerebral and
probably not for all audiences, and, while it
offers no solutions, it boldly confronts refl ects
the anxiety of our time, which, to paraphrase
Shakespeare, is a catharsis devoutly to be
wished.
CIRCLE JERK| Streams live through Oct. 23 at
7:30 p.m. | On demand through Nov. 6 | $7-$55
at circlejerk.live
HEALTH & FITNESS
INSURANCE
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Walk-In Tubs
WALK-IN BATHTUB SALE! SAVE $1,500
FREE!
Savings Include an American
Standard Right Height Toilet
FREE! ($500 Value)
· Backed by American Standard's 140 years
of experience
· Ultra low entry for easy entering & exiting
· Patented Quick Drains© Technology
· Lifetime Warranty on the bath AND
installation, INCLUDING labor backed
by American Standard
· 44 Hydrotherapy jets for an invigorating massage
Limited Time Offer! Call Today!
888-609-0248
Or visit: www.walkintubinfo.com/nypress
OBITUARY
TO PLACE AN OBITUARY AD,
call 718-260-2555 or email
classifi ed@schnepsmedia.com
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FOR RENT
NOHO DISTRICT
Manufacturing Space for Lease
Ideal for service, industrial.
No retail or office uses.
Only uses permitted under
zoning district M1-5B
636 Broadway 7972 SF,
cellar only
$239,160 annual basis ($30/sqft)
Call: V. Trager 212-254-7701
WHY
PAY
MORE?
Call Now
718.260.8307
to Advertise
All Your
Legals and
Name Changes
GayCityNews.com | October 22 - November 4, 2020 31
/nypress
link
/nypress
/GayCityNews.com
link
