The Life and Death of Marina Abramović
“The collaboration of music, light, sound, text and design is exceptional … simply beautiful.”
– The Guardian (London)
“Marina told me a lot of stories about her parents and family situations, the loves in her life and the sorrows. I constructed them into a visual poem about her life.” – Robert Wilson as told to the Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2013 read more
At the intersection of theater, opera and visual art, director Robert Wilson’s reimagining of performance artist Marina Abramović’s extraordinary life and work begins with her difficult childhood in former Yugoslavia, and chronicles her journey to the present day. Abramović, who plays herself as well as her imposing mother, is joined by world-renowned actor Willem Dafoe and singer Antony, performing original music and songs created for this ‘quasi opera.’
Premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2011, The Life and Death of Marina Abramović has played to sold-out audiences and rave reviews in Madrid, Basel, Antwerp and Amsterdam. For the Armory, Wilson is creating a new staging that uses the full sweep of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to draw the audience in as though they are part of the story.
U.S. Premiere
Conceived and directed by Robert Wilson
With Marina Abramović, Antony, and Willem Dafoe
The Life and Death of Marina Abramović is commissioned by Manchester International Festival and Teatro Real Madrid with Theater Basel, Art Basel, Holland Festival, Salford City Council and deSingel.
Support for Park Avenue Armory’s artistic season has been generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, the Marc Haas Foundation, the Leon Levy Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, the Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation and the Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Photo: Lucie Jansch