The Monkey and The Devil
2008
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

The Monkey and The Devil is a continuously running dance theater installation exploring contemporary expressions of racist ideologies. In addition to the propaganda espoused, the performers theatrically explore such key concepts as eugenics and cultural appropriation. The title of the piece is taken from ethnic slurs historically used to denigrate both black and white people. Two couples representing the two races perform on two massive, wobbly, and fast moving rotating setpieces created by Visual Artist Charles Trapolin. This set evokes the image of a divided house, referencing the Civil War quote by Abraham Lincoln “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Collaborators
Choreography: Joanna Haigood
Scenic Design: Charles Trapolin
Lighting Design: Allen Wilner
Dramaturg: Kim Euell

Premiere Performers
Ross Holienkamp, Jodi Lomask, Raissa Simpson, Dwayne Worthington

Subsequent Performers
Sean Grimm, Jodi Lomask, Raissa Simpson, Matthew Wickett

Funders / Commissioners
The Monkey and The Devil was made possible in part with generous support from San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund / Grants for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Zellerbach Family Foundation

Premiere Date
2008

Premiere Location
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

Subsequent Performance Dates and Locations
2008: Zaccho Studio, San Francisco, CA
2011: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

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