BASE + RADAR: Big Dance Theater (Paul Lazar)

Base + Radar presents: Lecture on the History of Skywriting by Big Dance Theater

December 11, 2026 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM

Base: Experimental Arts + Space is thrilled to continue Base + Radar, a program in collaboration with NYC’s Under the Radar Festival. This December, Big Dance Theater (Paul Lazar) will develop their work, , within an immersive, community-connected residency model.

About the work
“I am the sky,” says performer/creator Paul Lazar at the beginning of Anne Carson’s Lecture on Skywriting. In a swirl of song, dance, video, lectures and phone calls, Paul relives the fantastical, imaginative, poignant, comic, riotous adventure of the life of the sky itself. Painting a picture of love before the Big Bang to being an accomplice in modern warfare, Paul’s performance is held aloft alongside mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, singing music by composers John Cage and Michael Gordon. Paul and Hai-Ting, plus some clouds, all dance to the choreography of Annie-B Parson. Their performance, written in its entirety by Anne Carson, begins as a lecture and evolves into an intergalactic joy ride. This work was created in part through support from the Base + Radar Residency Program, a collaboration between Base and the Under the Radar Festival.

About Base + Radar
By bringing the development of new work into a new environment, Base + Radar creates space for experimentation, risk-taking, and creative dialogue. The partnership between Base and Under the Radar supports artists in developing and launching bold new performance works, while connecting them with new communities and audiences.

Under the Radar Co-Producer Tommy Kriegsmann describes the shared vision:

“The vision of Under the Radar is a national one—a broad sustenance of experimentation allowing artists the resources to build, challenge, shape and launch new live works. Base shares that vision and has grown to become an essential part of Seattle’s ever-resonant performance scene, and we are thrilled to collaborate with them in helping experimental work thrive.”

Base Executive Director Dayna Hanson adds:

“As a regional development space, it’s a dream for Base to collaborate with organizations presenting artists on larger stages.”

Flourish
In 2024, Base launched Flourish—a three-year fundraising effort to support residencies, organizational capacity, and new community-facing programs. Now, as Base celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re entering Year Three of Flourish—building on momentum as we acknowledge the realities artists face today. If you’re unable to attend this event, but would like to support Base, please consider donating to our campaign.

About Base
Base exists to elevate risk and invention in dance, performance and multi-disciplinary art. A nonprofit space for developing and publicly sharing original work, Base is committed to addressing experimental artists’ needs for time, space, creative freedom, financial support and critical discourse. Founded in 2015 by Dayna Hanson, Peggy Piacenza and Dave Proscia, Base prioritizes equity, experimentation, and community, striving to create a home for process and inquiry. We offer a one-of-a-kind artist residency program and low-cost space rentals, along with a range of community-facing programs, including Pairings, Jump / Cut, Base + Radar and the long-running and cherished performance showcase, 12 Minutes Max. Learn more at thisisbase.org.

Accessibility at Base
Base is an ADA-compliant, accessible space on the ground floor, with all-gender and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. More on accessibility at Base here.

Any additional accessibility needs/requests for the show? Reach out to [email protected]

Free and Reduced cost access is made possible through 4Culture.