Theater workshop presented as part of “The Brâncuși Month in New York”
About the Event
Did you know Brâncuși once went head-to-head with U.S. Customs officials over whether his works were "art" or "industrial objects"? Adapted by Amanda L. Andrei and Codin Andrei from Tatiana Niculescu’s acclaimed book, Brâncuși v. United States dramatizes the moment the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși sued the United States after his iconic sculpture, "Bird in Space", was denied recognition as art. The outcome of the trial, held in 1928, forever changed the legal definition of art in America and signaled the dawn of modern art. Join us for an evening where art, history, and theater converge to celebrate one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century.
Brâncuși v. United States
Written by: Tatiana Niculescu
Adapted for stage by: Amanda L. Andrei
Directed by: Dina Vovsi
Cast: A.J. Ditty, Ethan Dubin, Lennox Duong, Vas Eli, Elijah Guo, Jasmine Sharma, Sarah Shin
Duration: 1h30min
Language: English
Free entry, RSVP required (seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis).
Meet the Creative Team
TATIANA NICULESCU was born in Bucharest, Romania, and is the best-selling author of more than ten novels and biographies. She was the editor for the Romanian section of the BBC World Service in London from 1995–2004 and headed the World Service’s Bucharest Bureau from 2004–2008. In 2006, she published Romania’s first nonfiction novel, Spovedanie la Tanacu (The Confession; Humanitas), which was followed, in 2007, by Cartea Judecătorilor (The Book of Judges; Humanitas). Cristian Mungiu’s film Beyond the Hills, which won the Award for Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2012, was closely inspired by Niculescu’s pair of nonfiction novels. Other titles include În Țara lui Dumnezeu (In the Land of God; Polirom), a novel published in 2012, and two plays. Deadly Confession (directly inspired by the events recounted in The Confession and The Book of Judges) was directed by Andrei Șerban and premiered in New York at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in 2007.
AMANDA L. ANDREI is a playwright, literary translator, and theater critic/journalist residing in Los Angeles by way of Virginia/Washington DC. She writes epic, irreverent plays that center the concealed, wounded places of history from the perspectives of diasporic Filipina women, and she co-translates from Romanian to English with her father. Her plays have been produced by Relative Theatrics and developed with Boston Court, NY Classical Theater, La MaMa, Echo Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Artists at Play, Circle X, Chalk Rep, the Vagrancy, and more. Her play Mama, I wish I were silver won the 2022 Jane Chambers Award for Feminist Playwriting, and her other work has received finalist status with the Princess Grace Award, Eugene O’Neill Conference, Playwrights Realm, and Ashland Festival. Her critique and articles can be found in American Theatre Magazine, Stage Raw, Howl Round, Rappler, and more. Her translations have received support from the Bread Loaf Translators Conference and have appeared in Asymptote Journal, Another Chicago Magazine, and Lunch Ticket. She is an alum of the National Critics Institute, a member of the 2024-25 BIPOC Critics Lab, and a Theatre Communications Group Rising Leaders of Color (2023). MFA: University of Southern California.
DINA VOVSI is a New York-based director and theater maker. Recent projects include "The Blue Parts" (Drama League Next Stage Special Residency, Working Theater commission), "The Cause" (WP Theater Pipeline Festival), and "River Watchers", a site-specific, journey-based play in a 14-seat Langley canoe in NYC’s Newtown Creek (The Motor Company; Brooklyn Arts Council Grantee, Puffin Foundation Grantee). She co-leads the New Georges Jam.
A.J. DITTY (he/him) is an actor/ playwright/ slash-mark enthusiast currently living in Brooklyn. NYC: "Puffs" (New World Stages), "Gas" (Theatre Row), "B.B.’s Inferno" (The PIT). Co-host of "The Worst of All Possible Worlds" podcast. Go to ajditty.com for all your ajditty.com needs! Photo Credit: Sub/Urban Photography
ETHAN DUBIN / Broadway: "The Ferryman" (Tony Award Best Play). Off-Broadway: "Bobbie Clearly" (Roundabout); "Rancho Viejo" (Playwrights Horizons); "With Clubbed Thumb: My Six Therapists"; "California"; "The World My Mama Raised". Film: "the Coen Brothers"; "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"; “The Kitchen”. Some favorite TV credits: “Fallout”; "Teddy Atlas on Mike"; “Inventing Anna”.
LENNOX T. DUONG is a first-generation Vietnamese-American born and raised in Fresno, CA. She was recently seen in MCC’s SHIT.MEET.FAN and played Sean in the new musical "HELLO KITTY MUST DIE" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her past roles include Imogen in "CYMBELINE", Masha in "THREE SISTERS", Amina in "DANCE NATION", and Mulan in "MULAN AND THE BATTLE ON BLACK MOUNTAIN". Duong recently workshopped new plays with Williamstown Theater Festival, La Jolla Theater Company, SOHO Rep, the Song Collective, and NAATCO. She is immensely grateful for her family, friends, and her incredible team at Stewart Talent and Ellipsis Entertainment Group. Training: The Juilliard School. Photo credit: Shani Hadjian
VAS ELI is an award-winning actor based in NYC. A multidisciplinary artist, he is also a director, writer, producer, dialect coach, educator and painter. He is the founder of BETTERFLY Productions ("The Pir", "Zoom With Me", "Far", "Lemonking", "The Sketchy Eastern European Show", "When & Where"). Theater: "The Sketchy Eastern European Show" (The Players Theater), "Tamburlaine" (TFANA), "Jericho" (Attic Theatre), "Unearthly Visitants" (Triskelion Arts), "Island of Dr. Moreau" (Piper Theatre), "Splitfoot" (Edinburgh Fringe), "Lincoln Dress" (Albany NY, Bucharest). TV: "Night Agent", "The Endgame", "For Life", "WeCrashed", "The Deuce", "The Blacklist". Film: "Snakeeater", "Varlet", "Delenda", "Hell House 2", "Kidnapping of A Fish", "The Naked Woman", "Dominant Species", "Far From Here".
ELIJAH GUO’s credits include “Law & Order: SVU” and “The Blacklist” (NBC), “Patriots Day” (CBS Films / Lionsgate), “Power” (Starz), “Batman: Unburied” (DC / Spotify), and recurring roles on “High Maintenance” (HBO) and “StartUp” (Netflix). His original pilot “My Friend Will” premiered at Tribeca. MFA: American Repertory Theater at Harvard. Photo credit: Emily Lambert
JASMINE SHARMA / Recent credits include you don’t have to do anything (HERE Arts, u/s perf.), the west coast premieres of WIVES and CALVIN BERGER: A Musical, THE WOLVES (McCarter Theater), and a lot of new work development (SAOB, Hypokrit, NHP, OPC, DCPA, CTG, ASCAP, NYTW, The Public, Ma-Yi, MTW, etc).
SARAH SHIN is a Korean American theatre artist from Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. She’s a RDG4 Member, Co-Founder of Queer Asian Babes, SDC Associate Member, BFA Theatre Arts, Boston University. She’s acted, produced, and directed a bunch of things - Upcoming: Directing “Hell Hath Turned Over. F*CK” at Makers Ensemble’s Short Play Fest. Photo credit: Ken Yotsukura Photography
MARY GARRIGAN / Off-Broadway: "Another Shot" (The Signature Center), "Fish" (Keen Company & Working Theater), "Dig" (Primary Stages), "Belfast Girls" (Irish Repertory Theatre), "Cell" (The Drama League & Keen Company), "Powerhouse" (Manhattan Repertory Theatre); Regional: "Sense & Sensibility" (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), "The Brothers Size" (Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre), "The Orchard" (Arlekin Players).
