Site Specific Performance Series – September Recap


The Miami Design District’s fall rendition of its performing arts series, Site Specific, got off to a wonderful start with three attention grabbing acts.
The first act featured the Avante Gard theatrical troupe, Mad Cat Theatre Company. The Miami Shores-based company, led by Paul Tei, kicked off the evening with a truly site-specific piece inspired by the building in which they played, the Design District’s Moore Building.
“Rebel Yell” took its cues from the building’s permanent sculpture, “Elastika”, created by famed architect Zaha Hadid and questioned her alliance with Qatar and the inadequate working conditions of their migrant workers who are constructing stadiums to host the 2022 World Cup. Hadid designed the stadiums and has apparently turned a blind eye to the abhorrent working conditions.
The show’s climax featured an accordion player singing Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell into a megaphone, while a worker climbed ropes to the building’s third floor balcony where a blindfolded task master snapped a whip.

“In the midnight hour, she cries Moore. Moore, Moore.”
Act two brought the audience the Garden Building’s second floor space for a performance presented by the Arsht Center and University of Miami’s School of Theatre. The group performed a scene from Peter and the Star Catcher, which will be performed at the Arsht Center throughout October.
Act three brought the audience back to the Moore Building’s second floor space for a funky performance by Bird Road Arts District favorite, Speakfridays. The performance mixed spoken word with funky blues. The hip nature of the act worked perfectly with Moore’s soaring atrium backlit from the 40th Street lights cascading through the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
These were the first performances of the fall season. Site Specific continues on the third Saturdays of the month during October and November.
Photos by Manny Hernandez
Todd and Maggie Levine
Mad Cat Theater performs Rebel Yell
Angela Beaudion and Robert Lee
Miami Theater Center's Stephanie Ansin and Adrienne Arsht Center's Scott Schiller
Kerry Schiller, Lisa Richberg
SocialMiami's Aaron Glickman
Mad Cat Theater performs Rebel Yell
Miami Design District's Tiffany Chestler and Sandra Santiago
Karelle Levy, Luis Ruiz
Mad Cat Theater performs Rebel Yell
Christian Cooley and Jacquie Navarrete
Performance by students from UM School of Theatre
Jonathan Klopp, Jeiddy Lopez, Jeinny Lopez, Joseph Minday
Darren Bruck and Sofia Citarella
Nao Mckenzie, Paloma Soyka
Raids Dan and Latrice Dan
Henry Fonte with students from UM School of Theatre
Jennifer Strait, Dejha Carrington, Jason Green
Vincenza Sorrentino and Chanelle Svid
Speakfriday's Robert Lee
Catalina Ayubi, Thomas Pham, Shirley Rozgonyi
Speakfriday performance
Speakfriday performance
Speakfriday DJ
Jeremy Chestler, Min Sanchez, Tiffany Chestler, Oliver Sanchez, Jill Weisberg
Rebecca "Butterfly" Vaughn, Ebony Kennedy
Speakfriday performance
Speakfriday performance
Speakfriday performance
Teddy Shriver presents Tiffany Chestler with birthday cake
Maria Ruiz, Jeremy Chestler, Anna Williams, Matthew Burke and Teddy Shriver celebrating Tiffany Chestler's birthday