James and Jerome make theater that feels like reading a modern novel. They perform live music that evokes narrative action. They do all this at the same time, in such a way that the audience sees spectacles of far off places and far away times in their mind. For the first time, they turn their attention to visual art and our relationship to image as inspiration, seeking to create a new kind of museum tour – one that captures the beauty, poetry and narrative of museum spaces, whether you’re standing in front of a work of art or not.
Work Sample
Artist Bios
JEROME ELLIS (artist) is a Caribbean-American composer, saxophonist, and performer. He grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and moved to New York City, where he now lives, to attend Columbia University. He received a B.A. in music in 2011, having studied counterpoint with Ramin Arjomand, composition with Arthur Kampela, and ethnomusicology with Ana Ochoa. Jerome has performed at La MaMa, Joe's Pub, The Public Theater's Under The Radar Festival (the Incoming! portion), WKCR radio station, HERE Arts Center, Ars Nova, and other venues. Jerome also performs with Turtle Dance Music, a company dedicated to furthering child development through education and entertainment. In 2015 he studied Afro-Brazilian music, performance, and ritual in Salvador, Brazil on a Fulbright Fellowship. He and collaborator James Harrison Monaco were selected by The Public Theater in October 2014 to participate in their inaugural Devised Theater Working Group.
JAMES HARRISON MONACO (artist) is a writer, storyteller, performer, and musician based in New York. His own work is a high-speed blend of live-music, literature, and theater. His recent show built with composer Jerome Ellis, AARON/MARIE (co-directed by Rachel Chavkin and Annie Tippe), was presented by Under The Radar in August 2013 and then again in January 2015, and played earlier in PRELUDE Festival (Oct. 2013) and Ars Nova's ANT Fest (Jun. 2013). His solo-show RECEPTION (dir. Rachel Chavkin) was selected by HERE Arts to run as part of their Spring Artist Lodge in March 2012 (under an earlier title Do You Like That Man?), and later played at soloNOVA, and at The University of Toronto's Graduate Center for Drama. His earlier collaboration with Jerome Ellis THEY RAN AND RAN AND RAN played at HERE in April 2010 as part of The Motherlodge Festival. He and Jerome Ellis co-scored and performed in LOVE MACHINE (dir. Andrew Scoville) at Incubator Arts in May 2013. He was dramaturg on Dave Malloy's GHOST QUARTET (dir. Annie Tippe), currently running at the McKittrick Hotel and previously at The Bushwick Starr. He has performed excerpts of his work at many NYC variety nights, including Catch, AUNTS, Little Theatre at Dixon Place, Rick Burkhardt's Doctor and Mister's Loaded Capsule at JACK, and many Fresh Ground Pepper events.
RACHEL CHAVKIN (creative advisor) is a director, writer, and the Artistic Director of award-winning Brooklyn-based ensemble, the TEAM, now celebrating its 10th anniversary (www.theteamplays.org). Mission Drift, co-created by the TEAM and composer Heather Christian, recently had a sold-out run at London's National Theatre. Additional Credits: Dave Malloy's critically acclaimed Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812; repeat collaborations with Taylor Mac, including his extravaganza The Lily’s Revenge (Act II); Bess Wohl's Small Mouth Sounds (NYTimes Critics Pick). Nominations: 2013 Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards, 2013 Doris Duke Impact Award. Recipient: 2010 and 2013 Obie Awards.
BRIClab is a commissioning and residency development program for both emerging and established local artists to explore and expand the possibilities of their work in music, dance, theater and multi-disciplinary performance.
Venue Information:
The intimate, flexible studio space within BRIC House is dedicated to emerging and mid-career artists, with an audience capacity of 50-75 for rehearsals and performances in a workshop setting.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2022, attendees of any BRIC House programming will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the building. Masks are encouraged but not required in all BRIC operated spaces. If you have questions regarding this protocol, please email Safety@bricartsmedia.org