The Box is Empty presents new works by Seattle composer Nat Evans, and New York-based composer Leaha Villarreal.
Evans has collaborated with writer Chelsea Werner-Jatzke and a team of lens-based artists to create a new work for chamber ensemble, field recordings, spoken text and a series of videos. More Comfort explores the evolution of our relation to different screens in our lives, mobile devices and televisions as a hearth place, and the nature of our contemporary interactions and language. The videos presented are by artist Rodrigo Valenzuela with additional video curation by Interstitial Theatre’s Julia Greenway. Valenzuela’s video will also feature live manipulation of the video – a performative version of the use of our hands with the multitude of devices in our every-day lives.
Villareal presents a series of works for strings: a quartet originally written for the JACK Quartet, a septet, and a new trio. The quartet is inspired by Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days. Seattle artist Erin Elyse Burns will present a new video work along with Villarreal’s music. In addition to composing, Villarreal is also the artistic director of Hotel Elefant, which regularly presents contemporary music across New York City.