SYNTHESIS
Guest Curated by Miz Jade
MARCH 17 & 18, 2023
Guest Curated by Miz Jade, Synthesis is a theatrical variety show presenting nightlife performers in the queer community and celebrating an array of disciplines and identities.This incredible evening of music, drag, and burlesque carves out space for artists to nurture and grow their craft. Synthesis aims to allow artists to present their work in an elevated environment with more technical support, enabling a grander vision to come to life.
Miz Jade
B.A.N.J.I.
Choreography:
Miz Jade
Dancers:
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Costumes:
Alexender
Robyn Edges
Miz Jade
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Special thanks to my mom, Miss Hazel, for being a Banji Grl. Thank you to my dancers who were incredible, fun, and grounding to work with.
Synthesis Cast ’23
Video and Editing:
Katia Etienne
Patrice Payne
Instagram:
@pjpayne.art
@katiaetienne
Venmo:
@pjpayne_art
Foxy Belle Afriq
MODESTY
Concept and Creation:
Foxy Belle Afriq
Music edit:
Sam Kaseta
Video Concept:
Foxy Belle Afriq
Video editor:
Morgan Young
Music editor:
Sam Kaseta
Foxy Belle Afriq celebrates her East African heritage through burlesque. Trained with Brown Girls Burlesque, she has continued on to perform in and around New York City establishments like The Brooklyn Museum, WOW Cafe Theater, Joe's Pub, House of Yes and more. Foxy is the producer of BIPOC burlesque and drag shows such as FROLIC : A Black Burlesque Revue, HAIROLOGY, THE FREAK AFFAIR : A Drag King Improv Show and I DRAG YOU NOT - Drag King/Thing show. She also performs as Drag King 'Uncle Freak', who is an award winning and gender bending persona. Foxy is the 2021 recipient of the White Elephant Silver Tusk award "Entertainer of The Year".
Thank you the staff at Trisk for their due diligence, thanks to Miz Jade for curating such important queer programming. Special thanks to my parents for their unwavering support and thank you to my child Olesia, whom all my work is dedicated to now and forever.
Venmo:@Foxy1
Instagram: @foxybelleafriq
Junior Mintt
Love Liberates
Creation and Performance:
Junior Mintt
Costumes:
Tenyards Clothing
Junior Mintt is a drag artist, Business Owner, and motivational speaker based in Brooklyn, She is a proud Black Transwoman out to show how Minty the world can be with a little kindness, empathy, and a strong Black, Trans, Queer perspective. She is the creator of Mintty Makeup, one of the first Black Trans Makeup lines. Mintty Makeup has been featured in Buzzfeed, Paper Magazine, and Vogue Beauty. She's been featured in Vogue, The CUT, ID, and Gayletter for the work she does not only on the stage, but also in the community. She's a cohost of the Brooklyn Liberation March. She’s the creator and producer of “In Living Color”, A drag variety show operating for 3 years, showcasing the talents of the Black, Brown and Trans community members. Junior Mintt has brought to life her message of Black Transpower through getting to speak and co-host the Brooklyn Liberation March, through her comedic and thought-provoking drag performances at throughout NYC, through her mentoring teen and young artists through the Brooklyn Arts Exchange, through her performing stand up at Chelsea Music Hall, through walking the fashion show in Susanna Bartsch’s Love Ball, and speaking and performing for the Gibney Theater.
A special thank you to my mom for reminding me of my power and beauty, and thank you to Jimm for always making it able for me to shine at my brightest!
Instagram: @juniormintt
Venmo: @juniormintt
Cashapp: $juniormintt
Mocha
Tabula Rasa
Creation/direction/pefromance:
Mocha
Music:
ClubYvonneNYC by Misty Meaner
An Nth dimentional space witch, combs the universe for life to love, eternally unsuccessful, they comes across a planet wraught with imbalance and inequity, and so they take it upon themself to cleanse and restart this fledgling world, in the favor of the femme.
Nathaniel Visneaskus or better known as the NYC Nightlife staple “Mocha “ is a life long performer. Nathaniel’s onstage presense is inately captivating, earning them numerous awards including the first Queen of the Year at the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards but you also might have seen them as the gorgeous La Reina in the film Killer Unicorns, and in the up coming film Twitterpated. Featured in hundreds of drag show productions all over NY in their almost 16 year career, one of their biggest accomplishments, being professor for a day teaching a 7 hour drag seminar at Parsons New School. Mocha loves drag, it’s her favorite sport and plans on doing it along side their partner Misty Meaner for as long as possible .
Special thanks to my incredible partner for their unwavering support.
Venmo: @vanillaheavy
Instagram: @vanillaheavy
Senerio
Love in Nightlife
A delight in infinite creation. Enjoying the fruits of my labor as an artist in nightlife for the past 10 years.
Senerio Baptiste is a music artist with a multidisciplinary profile. Co Producer of The Cake Boys and Giant Fest. 12x Glam Award Nominated. Senerio has curated events featuring Sasha Velour, Mila Jam, TT the Artist, Mister Wallace, DDM, Leggoh, Boy Radio, Macy Rodman and many more. After raising over 14K for local black and queer charities, Senerio continues to push his message of radical love through art while residing in the concrete jungle. @iamsenerio www.iamsenerio.com
Venmo: @giantfest
Instagram: @iamsenerio
-INTERMISSION-
Miz Jade
Mother
Choreography:
Miz Jade
Dancers:
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Costumes:
Daniel Silva
Miz Jade
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Special Thanks to all the Black Femmes who have paved the way for me, nurtured me, held me accountable, celebrated me, educated me and served as a catalyst for change and growth in the world. To you we owe all! Special thanks to my Grandmother, Minister Janice Harris- this one goes to you my Queen.
Venmo:
@MizJade_Davon
@MarJay-Smith-16
@Mary-AngelaGranberry
Instagram: @MizJade_Davon
Elle McQueen
Drag performer
Creation and Performance:
Elyse Hamme
Film:
Patrice Payne
Who the hell is elle, you ask?
She's an Iridescent Force.
What does that even mean?!
You're about to find out.
Special thanks to Patrice for filming this. And as always Mz Jade for holding space for all of us in a meaningful way!
Venmo: @elyse-hamme
Instagram: @whothehellisiselle
Nyx Nocturne
Breathe
Created and performed by Nyx Nocturne
An exploration of movement, breath, and bringing together disparate parts of the self.
Known as “the babe that goes bump in the night,” Nyx Nocturne is a multidisciplinary artist who uses their body to explore gender-fluidity and desirability politics through drag and burlesque. Their signature performance style blurs the line between hedonistic delights and grotesque discomfort as a means of challenging audiences to re-examine what excites them. Nyx has cast their shadow on pages and stages such as The NY Times, GQ, Lincoln Center, BAM, and The Brooklyn Museum. They were named the 2019 Best Burlesque/Boylesque performer at the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards and are a member of the award winning queer performance collective, Switch n’ Play - which was the focal point of the feature documentary, A Night at Switch n’ Play. Nyx Nocturne is the dazzling nightmare fantasy you never knew you wanted.
Venmo: @nyxnocturne
Instagram: @nyxnocturne
Charlie Sheena
S&M (She’s Masculine)
Performers:
CHARLIE SHEENA
MONSTER BABYLON(Justin Gomez)
BESTI ( Daquan Mitchell)
Music Production:
Marq Walt
Ohyung
Show Mix & Music Production:
DJ Goyabean
Costumes:
Monster Babylon
BTS Scenes:
Sheba Legend
She’s Masculine is a project highlighting the struggles masculine women face in society and the lack of self respect so many women carry around due to childhood trauma. The title She’s Masculine has a double meaning its acronym S&M . Speaking to the S&M type relationship society has with femininity. Within this Project is "In My Genes" the song surrounding a candid conversation Charlie had with their 82 cishetero Jamaican father (Winston Dixon) In said conversation Charlie is affirmed by him stating ''being gay/queer is in your genes." In my Genes will be taking a look at people of color who live “alternative lifestyles” Reaching for there goals believing in themselves and striving for excellence No matter the opposition. “Brains” , “Relapse” and “It’s Giving” will all be on the new project SHE’S MASCULINE” coming by Summer 2023.
Charlie Sheena is a native New Yorker avant-garde rapper, singer, songwriter with a style all their own. Charlie has released a myriad of underground tracks , their debut release was ‘’Thot Joose’’ in 2017 that charted on the Billboard Pride Chart right below Lady Gaga. Their approach to music is definitely one of a kind the word play/composition is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Transcending genre and gender alike. Clever, caring and courageous! The upcoming project “She’s Masculine” is coming to tickle and tantalize your earbuds with sounds of reggae, metal , ballroom, r&b and of course hip hop. By way of a Jamaican family born in the Bronx here to take the world by storm !!! Are you ready !!!
Special Thanks to my family my friends my loved ones !!! Miz Jade !!!!! Masculine Us Project
Instagram: @charliesheenanyc
Venmo: @Charlie-sheena
Cash app:
$charliesheena111
$JustinMonsterLabeija
$Bestiie
Synthesis Cast ’23
Video and Editing:
Katia Etienne
Patrice Payne
Instagram:
@pjpayne.art
@katiaetienne
Venmo:
@pjpayne_art
Miz Jade
143
Choreography:
Miz Jade
Dancers:
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Costumes:
Daniel Silva
Miz Jade
Marjay Smith
Mary-Angela G
Special Thanks to all the Black Femmes who have paved the way for me, nurtured me, held me accountable, celebrated me, educated me and served as a catalyst for change and growth in the world. To you we owe all! Special thanks to my Grandmother, Minister Janice Harris- this one goes to you my Queen.
Venmo: @MizJade_Davon
Instagram: @MizJade_Davon
Lighting Design and Director of Production: Anna Wotring
Anna Wotring, a Pittsburgh native, is a community minded dance artist, designer and production stage manager committed to the practice of collaborative leadership. She currently works with Annie Heath, Lauren Horn, Jennifer Nugent and slowdanger as a technical design consultant, dancer, and production stage manager. Wotring obtained her BFA in Dance, at the Five College Dance Department in Western Massachusetts. She has had the privilege of working with a multitude of dance organizations, including Alvin Ailey Studios, Attack Theater, Ballet Des Ameriques, BalletNext, Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Company, the Dance Conservatory of Pittsburgh, Dance Place, H2O Contemporary Dance, Monica Bill Barnes and Company, New York Live Arts, the Pillow Project, Prayers of the People, RoseAnne Spradlin, Scapegoat Garden, Time Lapse Dance, and many others. Wotring is beyond excited to begin working and imagining with the Trisk team. @annaissupercool
Trisk Presents is brought to you in part by:
We respectfully acknowledge that the work of Triskelion Arts is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of Lenapehoking, the homeland of the Lenape peoples. We pay our respects to their land, water, and ancestors, past, present, and future. This acknowledgment demonstrates a commitment to the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and to learning to be better stewards of this land.
