program > main stage
Malcolm-x Betts and Nile Harris
Temporary Boyfriend
Presented by The Chocolate Factory Theater
photos: Malcolm-x Betts
With deviating aesthetics of proximity and estrangement, this improvisatory duet locates the relationship between two men within ephemeral histories of gay Black brotherhood.
For the world premiere of Temporary Boyfriend, artists Malcolm-x Betts and Nile Harris stage the nuanced poetics of their long-term collaboration. Drawing from past performances in each others works including Niggas at Sundown at New York Live Arts and this house is not a home at Abrons Arts Center, Harris and Betts render the friction and intrigue at the pith of their connection in this improvisatory duet. As the pair traverses the barren architecture of The Chocolate Factory, they journey across various touch points of relationality between Black gay men. From the kinship of ancestors lost to the AIDS epidemic, to contemporary manifestations of ephemeral gay brotherhood, Temporary Boyfriend is an intimate portrait of the aesthetics of proximity and estrangement.
Note: This production incorporates loud noises, bright and flashing lights, explicit sexual language and partial nudity. It is recommended for mature audiences.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 11 @ 7pm
Sunday, January 12 @ 7pm
Monday, January 13 @ 7pm
Run time: 75 minutes
VENUE
The Chocolate Factory Theater
38-33 24th Street (off 39th Avenue)
Long Island City, Queens 11101
Access:
The Chocolate Factory is not a fully ADA accessible space. We can make necessary accommodations upon request, please contact us directly at brian@chocolatefactory.org with any inquiries.
CREDITS
Production credits to be announced
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Nile Harris is a performer and director based in New York. He is an Artistic Leader at Ping Chong and Company (PCC). His recent works include this house is not a home at Abrons Arts Center, performed with Crackhead Barney & Malcolm-x Betts, and minor b at The Shed, starring Jim Fletcher. His work has been supported by MAP Fund, Franklin Furnace Fund, Watermill Center and a 2024 FCA Grants to Artist award. He is currently working on a year-long commission with Performance Space New York playing the part of their “Organizational Strategic Consultant.”
Malcolm-x Betts is a New York based visual and dance artist who believes that art is a transformative vehicle that brings people and communities together. His artistic work is rooted in investigating embodiment for liberation, Black imagination, and directly engaging with challenges placed on the physical body. He has a community engagement practice allowing artistic freedom and making art accessible to everyone. He is the Founder and Co-Curator of Black Aesthetics, a monthly arts program showcasing experimental Black dance and performance at Judson Memorial Church.
CREATION + FUNDING
Co-produced and presented by The Chocolate Factory Theater & Ping Chong and Company.
Ping Chong and Company is grateful to receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mellon Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Leon Levy Foundation, The Lily Auchincloss Foundation, New York Community Trust, The Lucille Lortel Foundation, and many generous individual donors.
