ROOM, ROOM, ROOM Begins In December At SubletSeries@HERE

Developed and performed by playwright Andy Boyd, vocal and performing artist syd island, and playmaker Philip Santos Schaffer, Room, Room, Room, in the many Mansions of eternal glory for Thee and for everyone is an acoustic hyperpop folk opera about death, sex, God, gender, utopia and the end of the world.

Room, Room, Room, premiered October 2023 at The Brick Theater and was performed at Joe's Pub in September 2024. In December 2024, the work will return to New York City for a third run of performances presented at SubletSeries@HERE.

The piece centers on the Publick Universal Friend, an American mystic who had a vision in 1776 in which the Friend was told by two angels to preach the word of God. From the moment of their vision on, the newly reborn PUF refused to use gendered pronouns or presentation, and when asked what gender PUF was, would simply reply “I am that I am.”

Room, Room, Room, combines rituals from the 18th century Quaker meetinghouse to the contemporary club, using the story of PUF to reflect on our own experiences as embodied souls in 21st century America. While problematizing the American vision of utopia, we aim to invoke a temporary genderless/genderful? utopia with our audience (even if just for a second).

Say the artists: "We are thrilled to once again be making space for trans joy, rage, ass shaking, and solidarity building. We originally made this show to illuminate a fascinating chapter of queer history, but we had no idea this piece would resonate so powerfully in the present. The show has taught us that while many queer people share the Public Universal Friend's fear that the world might be coming to an end, many of us also have a deep yearning for spiritual connection. We are painfully aware of the evils around us, yet we also yearn for a utopian future where trans joy is recognized as sacred. Come laugh with us, cry with us, sing with us, throw ass with us, and dream with us. Cis people can come too. Special guest appearance by god themself to be confirmed."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Andy Boyd is a playwright based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. She is a graduate of the playwriting MFA at Columbia University, where she studied with David Henry Hwang, Lynn Nottage, Charles Mee, Kelly Stuart, and Doug Wright. Her plays have been produced by The Tank, Otherworld Theatre, Theater in Asylum, Naked Theatre Company, and IRT Theater. Her plays have been developed or presented at Pipeline Theatre Company, The Gingold Group, The Assembly, Dixon Place, The Kennedy Center, Roundabout Theatre Company, Out Loud Theatre, Contemporary Theater Company, The Trunk Space, Columbia University, Marquette University, and Harvard University. Her play The Trade Federation is published by NoPassport Press. Her chapbook of short plays Lil' Sweetums is published by Bottlecap Press. Her work has been supported by the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts. She is a member of the theatre band Friend of Friend. IG @andyjboyd | andyjboyd.com

syd island is a queer vocal and performing artist based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. they have a BA in Music from Brown University and are a graduate of Arizona School for the Arts. syd performs and collaborates with Pioneers Go East Collective in My name'sound, most recently as a Resident Artist 3.0 at BAM in 2023, as well as in BRIClab in 2022. alongside co-creators Andy Boyd and Philip Santos Schaffer, syd developed Room, Room, Room, in the many Mansions of eternal glory for Thee and for everyone as a part of The Assembly's 2022 Deceleration Lab. syd has collaborated on several incarnations of Devotion Devotion by Lydia Mokdessi and Jason Bartell at The Exponential Festival (2020), Crossroads at Judson Memorial Church (2021), and The Brick (2022). In 2019, syd performed in Mae May's softboarding: medium shred at Roulette Intermedium. in addition to performing in experimental theater and dance, they sing choral and plainchant sacred music at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Park Slope. IG @syd.island |  www.sydisland.com

Philip Santos Schaffer is a playmaker creating interactive performances in intimate and unconventional settings. Their work has been seen in bathtubs across the country, listened to over the phone, and found in a series of living rooms (as well as appearing in more conventional spaces). Philip's work deals with politics, pop culture, intimacy and empathy through participation, humor, music, and more. They have been an Artist in Residence at University Settlement, part of The Assembly's Deceleration Lab, and a MORE Art Engaged Artist Fellow. Philip has a BFA in Directing from Hofstra University and an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University. Philip is 1/5 of the creative team behind WalkUpArts, which they co-founded in 2015. IG @welikephilp | www.philipsantosschaffer.com