On May 11-13, Attack Theatre will be celebrating the 26th birthday of "Some Assembly Required" in Lawrenceville.
This assembly is an out-of-the-box, audience-focused interpretative performance, which will take place at two different locations and three times over the weekend.
Unlike dance performances such as the "Nutcracker", audiences around the world who've witnessed "Some Assembly Required" haven't seen the same display. Each rendition is unique, showcasing the feelings and perspectives of the audience, and utilizing visual-thinking strategies in addition to dance and music improvisation to communicate art.
However, no context is required for those seeing the performance; just a willingness to be involved in the creative, art-making process.
This year, the piece will bring to life a new sense- taste. For the first time ever, "Some Assembly Required" will be showcased in breweries, where audience members will taste specific drinks, be asked how they feel about them, and see and hear their tastebuds' opinions come to life through the dancers' movements and the musical performer's, Simon Cummings of Cello Fury, sounds.
Co-founders and co-artistic directors of Attack Theatre and creators of the piece, Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope, had a vision in 1997 of bringing the art presented in Carnegie Museum of Art's "Made in America" traveling exhibition to life. The museum wanted more than just a string quartet entertaining the viewers; they wanted to engage the audience in a new way. Thus, "Some Assembly Required" was born from this challenge, enhanced by original music performed by Grammy-nominated musician Dave Eggar.
"The reason why this work has sustained over the years is because it's different every time," de la Reza said. "The audience interpretations are translated into dance and music."
Since the original performance 26 years ago, the piece has been bringing art exhibitions to life in Pittsburgh at the Andy Warhol Museum, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, the Frick Museum, and more. Outside of the city, audiences in Washington DC, Avignon, France, and Monaco Ville, Monaco have all had their interpretations presented before them in "Some Assembly Required."
As a bonus, Attack Theatre is building neighborly connections to one of the breweries, the newly founded Lolev Beer, which opened its doors in Lawrenceville in December of 2022.
To strengthen bonds with the community, de la Reza and Attack Theatre work to break down barriers to movement and art, alleviating the obstacle of payment. The theatre is selling tickets on a "pay-what-you-can" basis, as de la Reza wants to "provide an opportunity for folks to enjoy art without that barrier," not only for this weekend but for performances throughout the year.
Plus, those under 21 are encouraged to attend the performances this weekend, as they will be receiving non-alcoholic drinks to interpret.
Those wanting to be a part of the creative process while enjoying craft beer can catch "Some Assembly Required" on May 11 and 13 at Contemporary Craft located at 5645 Butler St., and May 12 at Lolev Beer, located just down the block at 5247 Butler St. The first two performances being at 6:30 p.m. and the last at 3 p.m.
Tickets can be obtained here.
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