The First Bad Man
Pan Pan
Presented by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“Heartbreakingly sad, thoughtful, disgusting and hilarious”
– THE UK OBSERVER
Welcome to the North American premiere of Pan Pan’s book club, where the first and only book you’ll be reading all year is author Miranda July’s novel The First Bad Man. If you haven’t read it, don’t worry: the real story is the club itself. More than just a staging of scenes from the book or a literary dissection, The First Bad Man is an immersive, comedic, and occasionally combative exploration of the intersections between the play’s characters and its inspirations. July’s writing addresses the delicate balance between the satisfaction of engagement and the risk of harm when we dare to show our true selves. As the members of Pan Pan get into the book, it gets into them. Is this a club based in good faith? Or have you stepped into something darker than you signed up for?
“A swirling, layered production that will leave your head spinning”
– NO MORE WORKHORSE
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE
As the newest member of Pan Pan’s book club, we want to make sure you are prepared. When you purchase your ticket from Lincoln Center anytime before December 10, we’ll ask you to share your shipping address so we can mail you a free hard copy of Miranda July’s novel, The First Bad Man. Just like any book club, you’ll know more about what’s going on if you finish the novel, but feel free to read as much or as little as you want. In any case, don’t forget to bring the book with you when you attend… you’ll need it! For tickets purchased after December 10, Lincoln Center will send you a digital copy to read in advance and you can pick up a free hard copy when you arrive at the event.
SCHEDULE
Friday, January 5 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 6 @ 4:00 pm
Saturday, January 6 @ 7:30 pm*
Sunday, January 7 @ 4:00 pm
Sunday, January 7 @ 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 9 @ 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 10 @ 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 11 @ 7:30 pm
Friday, January 12 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 13 @ 4:00 pm*
Saturday, January 13 @ 7:30 pm
Run time: 60 minutes
*Relaxed Performances on on Saturday, January 06, 2024 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 4:00 pm
VENUE
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Samuel Rehearsal Studio, 7th floor of Rose Building
165 W 65th St,
New York, NY 10023
CREDITS
Created by Mish Grigor and Gavin Quinn with Aedín Cosgrove, Luka Costello, Clare Howe, Sonya Kelly, Simon Kenny, Grace Morgan, Katherine O’Malley and Dylan Tighe.
2024 Cast: Mish Grigor, Faith Jones, Chris Manley & Grace Morgan
Directed by Gavin Quinn
Designed by Aedín Cosgrove
Music by Simon Kenny
Movement Director: Katherine O’Malley
Assistant Director: Grace Morgan
Produced by Emma Coen
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Pan Pan was founded in 1993 by Co-Artistic Directors Aedín Cosgrove and Gavin Quinn. The company has created 52 new theater and performance pieces and toured worldwide, receiving multiple national and international awards. Pan Pan have toured extensively to prestigious venues and festivals around the world including BAM, Lincoln Centre, St Ann’s Warehouse, NCPA China, Edinburgh International Festival Sydney and Melbourne Festivals, the Barbican and Hau Berlin.Since its inception, Pan Pan has constantly examined and challenged the nature of its work and has resisted settling into well-tried formulas. Developing new performance ideas is at the center of the company’s mission. All the works created are original, either through the writing (original plays) or through the totally unique expression of established writings. Pan Pan tries to approach theater as an open form of expression and has developed an individual aesthetic that has grown from making performances in a host of different situations and conditions. Pan Pan is committed to presenting performances nationally and internationally and developing links for co-productions and collaborations. The company has toured in Ireland, UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and China.
Miranda July is a filmmaker, artist, and writer. Her most recent book is The First Bad Man, a novel. July’s collection of stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and has been published in twenty-three countries. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Harper’s, and The New Yorker. It Chooses You was her first book of nonfiction. She wrote, directed and starred in The Future and Me and You and Everyone We Know – winner of the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize at Sundance. July’s participatory art works include the website Learning to Love You More (with artist Harrell Fletcher), Eleven Heavy Things (a sculpture garden created for the 2009 Venice Biennale), New Society (a performance), and Somebody (a messaging app created with Miu Miu.) Most recently she made an interfaith charity shop in Selfridges department store in London, presented by Artangel. She is currently working on a new feature film. Raised in Berkeley, California, July lives in Los Angeles.
FUNDING
The First Bad Man was re-developed with the support of the National Theatre Studio’s Generate program.
Pan Pan is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Culture Ireland.