Eszter Balint:I Hate Memory!
Pricing: $20 Student, $29 Advance, $39 Week of, $59 Preferred
I Hate Memory! is an anti-musical which co-stars the Streets of New York and the Late 20th Century, and features appearances by family, film and fame, immigration, joy, theater and shame, dance floors, open doors, papaya ice cream and the Shah of Iran’s wife. It is a reluctant memoir served on beds of song and dirt, with a punk aperitif and Jimmy Carter for dessert.
Combining stories, scenes, and immersive projections, with Balint’s band and music holding the center, the piece explores ideas of immigration, oppression and freedom, chaos and community, and Balint’s battles with memory and myths, when she’s most invested in creating the present. The perspective is distinctly female, the mood is deeply personal, and the concerns are universally human, with politics never far from view.
The show is in many ways about the dreams and lost dreams of America, and of New York. It is also about the nature of memory. But growing up isn’t all dire. There are still works to create, things to discover, stories to tell. And there is always music to carry you.
About the Artists:
Eszter Balint has released four critically acclaimed solo albums. She grew up as a performing member of the legendary avant-garde theater company Squat Theatre. She has been featured in films by Jim Jarmusch (Stranger Than Paradise, The Dead Don’t Die) and Steve Buscemi (Trees Lounge) and has co-starred alongside David Bowie (The Linguini Incident) to name a few of her film credits.
Singer-songwriter Stew (cowriter of songs) is a founding member of the band The Negro Problem, and the Tony and Obie award-winning playwright and composer of Passing Strange.