Quick on Their Feet

As interdisciplinary art at Harvard begins to gain momentum, “Thirteen” keeps reappearing on the radar. The troupe, which premiered in the Rieman Center for the Performing Arts back in January, brings actors, musicians and dancers together for a wild and entirely improvised performance in which the artists react to each other’s work.

Because the improvisational performance pieces will only last about 20 minutes, the group has to focus on tuning in to each other to develop each scene, says organizer Matthew J. Corriel ’05. The performers will also have to make a quick transition from Memorial Church to Science Center D—they perform back-to-back—to maximize their time.

“Our performance starts when we walk in the door,” Corriel says.

Beyond the change in venue, the Arts First performances will differ considerably from the group’s debut show in the winter.

“The people who are doing it are going to be different, which leads to different dynamics between us,” Corriel says. Although some of the key players will return, there will be several new faces; other time commitments kept some of the original members from performing during the weekend.

Corriel initially planned to have the group perform only once, at its January debut, but says that the group decided to continue the shows on a periodic basis because it was so much fun to mix the genres and perform together.

“I personally continue to be interested in interdisciplinary performance art, but I don’t know if this particular form will continue or if something different will come along in its place,” he says.

—Thirteen will be performed in front of Memorial Church at 4 p.m. on Saturday.