Mark O’Donnell Theater, Brooklyn, NY.
November 9, 2025.
Amanda Treiber + Company (AT + Co) presented an inaugural season at the Mark O’Donnell Theater in Brooklyn NY in early November. The company performed two works, why I can’t come to the phone…(world premiere) and MADERA (2021), both choreographed by Treiber. Michael Scales and Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán performed live on the piano and double bass. On the night of my attendance, the house (a black box theater of 87 seats) was entirely full and the mood warm and vibrant.
The seven-episode why I can’t come to the phone… explores both the mundane and the complex that permeate the range of human relationships. Episode 1: “The Bound,” and Episode 4: “The Unbound,” are both danced by the same couple, a couple honoring the deep value of platonic friendships. The piece, scored by Philip Glass and performed by New York City Ballet pianist Michale Scales, also utilized voice recordings of the dancers and a rousing harmonica solo from Harrison Coll. All episodes displayed the pleasantly unbothered, nothing-to-prove quality of Treiber’s choreography, but the final episode, “The Long Goodbye” (Monica Lima, Harrison Coll), struck me as so painfully and beautifully real with long moments of stillness, evoking the chasms in relationships that can catch us off guard.
Following intermission was MADERA, which was largely improvised from both the dance and musical perspectives. The haunting journey uses atypical piano accompaniment, along with variations of the double bass. Scales rarely sat at the piano, and instead used an array of items to manipulate the potential of the strings from inside the instrument. The desolate, stark quality of the music juxtaposed with the humanity of the dancing. Treiber, along with Lima, simply demonstrate the resiliency of people, and the care we have for each other even in times of metaphorical grayness. The work had a meditative quality to it that transported the audience to this world of musical loops and electronics, and of tender moments of flesh.
The evening had an understated excellence driving it. Attention to detail and thoughtful curiosity both played roles to bring such experienced artists to the stage. It wasn’t flashy, although the dancing was superb. Flashy is quick and bright, but this was a slow burn – and one that created a deep warmth.
By Emily Sarkissian of Dance Informa.
