Avant Garde Performance Art for the Under Five SetN.Y. Premiere December 12-22, 2019, at The Duke on 42nd Street

Full of joy, tracksuits and tutus, Because I Say Sois a physical theater work from acclaimed Swedish theater company for young audiences Unga Klara. With derring-do, daring dance and a look at the world from the perspective of kids, this one of a kind production asks the question: What if kids had absolute agency? Because I Say Sois part of the New Victory season at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios for a holiday engagement from December 12 - 22, 2019.

In the unique universe of Because I Say So,Unga Klara helps us consider why kids have so little influence in their own lives, and on society as a whole. Inspired by Elisabeth

Young-Bruehl’s book, Childism, which explores the notion that children have their own autonomy, Unga Klara set out to create a work that centers around the child’s perspective. Renowned for its cutting-edge theater work tackling complex issues through heightened movement and avant garde aesthetics, Unga Klara frequently works with young people and continually creates work that explores the role and experiences of children in modern society.

As Sweden’s first and only theater with a national assignment for young audiences, Unga Klara has established a strong tradition of theater with kids’ perspectives at its core. Led by Artistic Directors Farnaz Arbabi and Gustav Deinoff, Unga Klara’s other works include My True Selves, a play about identity for the grade school set; Girls Will Make You Blush, a dance theater piece about girlhood and puberty for ages 12-15; and X,a play about Swedish colonialism and racism for ages 15 and older.

Because I Say Sois directed by Farnaz Arbabi, featuring collaborators and performers Klas Lagerlund, Rita Lemivaara, David Nzinga, Joel Mauricio, Isabel Ortiz, Lisette T. Pagler, Nina Rashid, Maria Salah, Bianca Traum and Sakib Zabbar.

Gustav Deinoff and Farnaz Arbabi are co-artistic directors, Jenny Kronberg is the Costume & Set Designer, Daniela Krestelica is the Mask & Costume Designer, Johan Sundén is the Lighting Designer, Foad Arbabi is the Composer & Sound Designer, Daniela Kullman is the Dramaturg, Anne Jonsson is the Movement Coach, Céline Marcault is the Assistant Director and Ellen Dynebrink is the Textile Designer.

Learn more about Because I Say So at NewVictory.org.

Public Performance Schedule:

Thursday, December 12 at 4pm Friday, December 13 at 4pm
Saturday, December 14 at 10am / 1pm Sunday, December 15 at 10am / 1pm

Thursday, December 19 at 4pm Friday, December 20 at 4pm
Saturday, December 21 at 10am / 1pm Sunday, December 22 at 10am / 1pm*

*sign-interpreted performance

BECAUSEI SAYSO,performing at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street),has a running time of 35 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 3-5.

Learn more about BECAUSEI SAYSOon the New Victory website at NewVictory.org.

Ticket Information

Full-price tickets for BECAUSEI SAYSOare $20. Tickets are available online (www.newvictory.org/visitor-info) and by phone (646.223.3010).

To purchase tickets in person, the New Victory box office is located at 209 West 42nd Street (between 7th / 8th Avenues). Box office hours are Sunday & Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.

About The New Victory Theater

The New Victory Theater brings kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Created in 1995 on iconic 42nd Street, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all students, teachers, kids, families and communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international programming of theater, dance, circus, music, puppetry and opera on its stages. A leader in arts education, youth employment and audience engagement, The New Victory Theater has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people."

About New 42nd Street Studios

New 42nd Street Studios, including the black box theater The Duke on 42nd Street, cultivates new ideas in the performing arts through exceptional services and spaces that empower artists to do their best work. Duke on 42nd Street artists access quality performance space at highly-subsidized rates that include ticket services, production equipment and venue usher support from the New 42 Youth Corps, a career success program that equips students with mentoring, academic resources and flexible employment. Owned and operated by New 42nd Street, a nonprofit whose mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward, New 42nd Street Studios welcomes the season’s biggest musicals and plays, as well as numerous nonprofit performing arts companies. From early development to opening night, New 42nd Street Studios are dedicated to performing artists and the spells they cast.

About The New 42nd Street

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, building on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone’s life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street’s historic theaters; supporting performing artists in the creation of their work at the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street; creating arts access and education at The New Victory Theater, New York’s premier theater for kids and families; and through the New 42nd Street Youth Corps, its model youth development initiative, which pairs life skills workshops and mentorship with paid employment in the arts for NYC youth. Inspired by the city it serves, The New 42nd Street is committed to the transformational power of the arts.