ABOUT US
"They were normal bourgeois theater,
domestic triangle situations.
That's why I called my theater "Ontological-Hysteric,"
because the basic syndrome controlling the structure was a classical,
boulevard comedy syndrome, which I took to be hysteric in its roots."
(Richard Foreman, from the Ken Jordan Interview)
The Ontological-Hysteric Theater (OHT) was founded in
1968 by Richard Foreman with the aim of stripping the theater bare of
everything but the singular and essential impulse to stage the static
tension of interpersonal relations in space. The OHT seeks to
produce works that balance a primitive and minimal style with extremely
complex and theatrical themes. The core of the company's annual
programming is Richard Foreman's theater pieces, of which he has made
over 50 in the last 42 years.
ONTOLOGICAL-HYSTERIC INCUBATOR
Since taking up its home at the
Ontological Theater at St. Mark's in 1992, the OHT has nurtured a new
generation of artists who share Foreman's goals and passion for theater.
Through internship, staffing, summer residencies, the Obie
Award-winning Blueprint Series, and other curation efforts, the OHT was a
starting point for many artists making their mark in New York City and
internationally including David Herskovitz, Artistic Director of Target
Margin Theater, Damon Keily Artistic Director of American Theater in
Chicago, Radiohole, Elevator Repair Service, Pavol Liska,
NTUSA, as well as Richard Maxwell, Sophie Haviland, Bob Cucuzza, DJ
Mendel, Ken Nintzle and Young Jean Lee.
Since 1993 the emerging artists program at the
Ontological took many forms, including the Obie-winning Blueprint Series
for emerging directors. In 2005, the OHT reorganized the programs under
the name INCUBATOR, creating a series of linked programs to provide
young theater artists with resources and support to develop
process-oriented, original theatrical productions. By 2010, the program
had quadrupled in size, involving a range of artists and increased
support. The programs included the centerpiece Residency program for
premieres, two annual music festivals, a regular concert series, a
serial work-in-progress program called Short Form, and roundtables and
salons aimed at keeping Incubator artists involved year-round. In May,
2010, the Incubator received an OBIE grant.
In early 2010, the Ontological-Hysteric Theater
announced that it would leave its permanent home, St. Mark’s Church, and
that the Incubator would take over the space and operate year-round.
The Incubator Arts Project grew out of the Incubator, and now operates in the former Ontological Theater. Visit incubatorarts.org for more information.
|
