ABOUT THE SHOW
Effects of Gravity is the perfect show for audiences who gaze at the stars and wonder, who have questions and seek knowledge, and who know that science and art are expressions of the same basic human impulse to explore. Be prepared to have your mind blown, your heart opened, your eyes widened, and your ears treated to sounds they've never imagined before.
The formation of the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, our solar system and our planet—the story of our cosmic origins is told by Effects of Gravity from both scientific and poetic perspectives. The performance is richly illustrated with animated computer graphics and astronomical images brought to life by a live, blazingly virtuosic electric guitar score and original poetry that embraces the vastness, complexity, and beauty of the cosmos and our efforts to understand it.
At this historic juncture where the James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories are bringing us stunning images, and where science, regrettably, is under attack, we are pleased to offer The Effects of Gravity as an artful, fact-filled multi-media performance that celebrates the human quest for understanding as it speaks for planetary stewardship.
About Álvaro Domene, Composer and Guitarist
Álvaro Domene is a Madrid-born, New York based guitarist and composer operating at the convergence of various styles of contemporary creative music. His sound and compositions are influenced by the avant-garde jazz and western contemporary classical traditions, as well as metal music. He has released 26 albums as a leader and/or co-leader and is an active performer in New York’s creative music scene, leading various groups in addition to working with numerous artists.
Álvaro has performed and taught internationally, and recently worked with luminaries such as Joe McPhee, Karl Berger, Briggan Krauss, Elliott Sharp, Sam Newsome, Weasel Walter, Billy Martin and others.
About David Gonzalez, Poet
David Gonzalez is a poet, playwright, storyteller, musician, arts advocate, and public speaker. He is a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, is a Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and received a Drama Desk Nomination for his production The Frog Bride. David is the recipient of the International Performing Arts for Youth "Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence" as well as the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. Mr. Gonzalez has performed his original works at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Los Angeles Music Center, The Royal National Theater, and numerous premiere venues across the U.S.
Awards
• Joseph Campbell Foundation Fellow
• Drama Desk Nomination
• Lifetime Achievement Award - IPAY
• NJ Governor's Arts Award for Distinguished Service
• Helen Hayes Performing Artist of the Year
• Rhode Island State Award for Cultural Heritage
Grants (partial list)
• National Endowment for the Arts
• James Irvine Foundation
• NYSCA
• Lila Wallace Fund
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund
• National Endowment for the Humanites
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
Commissions
• Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• Cincinnati Opera
• Smithsonian Institution
• The Empire State Plaza PAC
• The Clarice @ University of Maryland
• Cleveland Playhouse Square
• The New Victory Theater
• Mohonk Festival of the Arts
• Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
• State University of NY - Purchase
• New Jersey Performing Arts Center
• Brooklyn College
About Luke Keller, Astrophysicist and Educator
Luke Keller is a professor of physics and astronomy at Ithaca College. He teaches all areas of physics and astronomy. He particularly enjoys teaching in the spaces between the traditional academic disciplines, recently collaborating with professors in the departments of Art and Religion & Philosophy. He received an Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award in 2010 and was appointed to the IC President’s Advisory Council on Innovation. Keller and his research students are fascinated by questions of origins; their research investigates the chemical composition, formation, and evolution of stars and planetary systems. Keller has also designed and built numerous instruments used on large research telescopes for astronomical observations. He was a co-investigator on a team that built an infrared camera for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a 747 aircraft with a large telescope built into its fuselage. For their work on this project Keller and his colleagues received a NASA Group Achievement Award in 2011. Keller is committed to the goal of teaching and inspiring an appreciation for the process of science.
Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award
Charles A. Dana Endowed Professorship
NASA Group Achievement Award
““The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead —his eyes are closed. The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.””
THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY DEMO
TESTIMONIALS
“The Effects of Gravity is fascinating, enjoyable, and very moving. It’s a show you should take on the road.”
“Effects of Gravity is an amazing performance that transports audience members into another dimension with stunning visuals and atmospheric mind altering music with facts about the universe on top. ”
AUDIENCE MEMBER TESTIMONIES
Photo Gallery
PRESS
“Ambient clean tones morph into Wagnerian waves of distortion, as he employs the entire range of his 7-string guitar. Álvaro Domene has mastered the art of turning non-pitched abrasive sounds into beauty.”
— Guitar Moderne
“With speech, sound, mime, and above all, inspired imagination, David Gonzalez has the gift of creating magical worlds and drawing his audience into them.”
— New York Times
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Edward Schoelwer, Red Shell Mgmt
Tel + (646) 495-1564 / eschoelwer@redshellmgmt.org
Attachments:
Photos of The Effects of Gravity (courtesy of artists)
EPK for The Effects of Gravity
The Effects of Gravity, An Innovative Multi-Media Production That Combines Science and Art, Is Joining Red Shell Mgmt Roster
Red Shell Mgmt is pleased to announce that joining its roster of touring performances is The Effects of Gravity, an artful and innovative multi-media production that celebrates the human quest for understanding the universe and speaks of planetary stewardship. Over a decade in gestation, The Effects of Gravity is the result of an “astrojam” collaboration and is performed by storyteller / spoken-word artist David Gonzales, guitarist / composer Álvaro Domene, and astrophysicist Luke Keller, Ph.D. Lasting approximately 90-minutes, with projected images, music, poetry, and storytelling, it is the perfect show for audiences who gaze at the stars and wonder, who have questions and seek knowledge, and who know that science and art are expressions of the same basic human impulse to explore. For more information about bringing this mind-bending production to your community go to www.redshellmgmt.org/effects-of-gravity
The collaborators invite audiences to join them as “a poet, a musician, and an astrophysicist do what they do every day to bring you an experience that is anything but everyday.”
Álvaro Domene is a Madrid-born, New York based guitarist and composer operating at the convergence of various styles of contemporary creative music. His sound and compositions are influenced by the avant-garde jazz and western contemporary classical traditions, as well as metal music. He has released 26 albums as a leader and/or co-leader and is an active performer in New York’s creative music scene, leading various groups in addition to working with numerous artists.
Luke Keller is a professor of physics and astronomy at Ithaca College. He teaches all areas of physics and astronomy. He particularly enjoys teaching in the spaces between the traditional academic disciplines, recently collaborating with professors in the departments of Art and Religion & Philosophy. Keller has also designed and built numerous instruments used on large research telescopes for astronomical observations. He was a co-investigator on a team that built an infrared camera for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a 747 aircraft with a large telescope built into its fuselage. For their work on this project Keller and his colleagues received a NASA Group Achievement Award in 2011.
David Gonzalez is a poet, playwright, storyteller, musician, arts advocate, and public speaker. He is a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, is a Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and received a Drama Desk Nomination for his production The Frog Bride. David is the recipient of the International Performing Arts for Youth “Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence” as well as the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. Mr. Gonzalez has performed his original works at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Los Angeles Music Center, The Royal National Theater, and numerous premiere venues across the U.S.
Says Chris Silva, executive director of Bardavon 1869 Opera House: “Since the dawn of time, artists and scientists have looked into the heavens for a sense of understanding and awe. Effects of Gravity lies directly at that intersection, blurring the line between scientific inquiry and exploration, and the breathtaking awe of the universe that spurs creativity and the numinous.”
Red Shell Mgmt is a cultural resource for presenters and promoters of cultural attractions to learn more about and engage select touring projects and touring dance companies with a legacy of excellent artistry and educational and social missions. Edward Schoelwer founded Red Shell in 2018. Limón Dance Company, Collage Dance Collective, Rhapsody in Black, New York Theatre Ballet, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and Contemporary West Dance Theatre complete the boutique roster. The company can be found at http://www.redshellmgmt.org.
Let the light of the touring artist replace the darkness of despair!
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book THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY
To inquire about booking The Effects of Gravity please submit the form below or contact Edward Schoelwer directly at eschoelwer@redshellmgmt.org or 646-495-1564.