A Lecture on Absence 'minor b' With Nile Harris

Performer Nile Harris believes that the site where a work is created is inherently crucial to the context of the piece and, with his return to the East End and The Church on Saturday, February 17, at 3 p.m., will develop a site-specific performative lecture inspired by the themes of his forthcoming work “minor b.” An interdisciplinary performance piece, “minor b,” considers how madness has been canonized, from the social to the aesthetic, within Black performance throughout history.

Harris will speak on his research on the life and legacy of Buddy Bolden, known as King Bolden, an early jazz cornetist who was institutionalized at a mental hospital from 1907 until his death in 1931. Little is known of what became of Bolden, often credited for originating what became known as jazz, due to the institution’s records being lost. First-hand reports from former ward attendants have described Bolden continuing to play his horn out the hospital’s window.

The lecture will highlight Harris’s inspiration and development of the piece, woven with snippets of theatrical performance, allowing the audience a sneak peek of what will become of “minor b” before its premiere at The Shed in August 2024. This is a rare opportunity to hear an artist speak on the various stages of constructing a performance during its infancy.

Nile Harris is a performer and director of live works of art. His work has been presented at the Palais de Tokyo, Under the Radar Festival (Public Theater), The Watermill Center, Volksbühne Berlin, Prelude Festival, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, La MaMa, Poetry Project and Movement Research at Judson Memorial Church.

Tickets for the lecture by Nile Harris are $10 (members free) at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor.