Morgan Bassichis
Brooklyn, NY
Can I Be Frank?
A new performance by Morgan Bassichis
With original material by Frank Maya
Directed by Sam Pinkleton
Instrumental recreations by Natasha Jacobs
Scenic recreation by Eli Woods Harrison
DESCRIPTION
In a desperate attempt to prove they can think about someone other than themself, Morgan Bassichis revisits queer comedian, musician, and performance artist Frank Maya’s 1987 show, Frank Maya Talks. Maya was among the “first out gay comedians on network television” and on the precipice of mainstream success before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1995. This new “solo” performance humbly attempts to ensure Maya’s legacy is no longer overlooked, while also resolving the bottomless queer search for laughter in times of crisis and for fame and father figures and intense attachment dynamics no matter how fleeting.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Morgan Bassichis (they/them) is a comedian and writer who has been described as “fiercely hilarious” by the New Yorker. They are the author of The Odd Years and co-editor with Jay Saper and Rachel Valinsky of Questions to Ask Before Your Bat Mitzvah, both published by Wendy’s Subway. Recent shows include A Crowded Field (Abrons Arts Center, 2023), Questions to Ask Beforehand (Bridget Donahue, 2022), and Don’t Rain on My Bat Mitzvah (Creative Time, 2021). Morgan’s exhibition, More Little Ditties, was co-presented by the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University, Cambridge and the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
Sam Pinkleton most recently directed Cole Escola's Oh, Mary! at the Lucille Lortel Theater, New York and choreographed Stephen Sondheim's final musical Here We Are at The Shed, New York. Other highlights of his directing work include a big gay Wizard of Oz (American Conservatory Theater, 2023); Noah Diaz’s YOU WILL GET SICK, starring Linda Lavin (Roundabout Theater Company, 2022); The Go-Go's musical Head Over Heels, co-directed with Jenny Koons and starring Alaska 5000 (Pasadena Playhouse, 2021); the unexplainable club experience UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING, created with Ani Taj (Virgin Voyages); and a revival of Elizabeth Swados' Runaways (Encores! and Shakespeare in the Park, 2016). As a choreographer, his work includes the Broadway productions of Macbeth, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Tony nominated), Machinal, Heisenberg, Significant Other, and Amélie. He has created original musical work with a diverse roster of collaborators including Courtney Love, Todd Almond, Swing Left, Cirque du Soleil, Nickelodeon, BAM, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Dutch National Opera. His work on film includes the upcoming apocalyptic musical feature The End, starring Tilda Swinton.
Natasha Jacobs is a composer, sound designer, sound engineer, songwriter, and performer from New York. Natasha draws musical inspiration from song cycles, pop artists’ most rejected albums, and the intangible. Their work has been described by Stereogum as "technically impressive, narratively immersive, tragically funny, and subtly dark,” and by NPR as “almost otherworldly…slightly spooky and often dramatic.” Their work in film has won awards at Sundance, South by Southwest, and more. Natasha has toured the US and Canada, and released two albums under the moniker Thelma.
Eli Woods Harrison is a queer anti-Zionist artist, curator, writer, and organizer living in Brooklyn. They are a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, and were assisted by Jack Dunnington and Barbara Schulman.
SPONSORSHIP
Can I Be Frank? was supported in part by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant and residencies at the Church in Sag Harbor, New York and the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. Special thanks to Mike & Carlee Productions.
Originally presented by La MaMa.