Roulette Intermedium facts for kids
The Street view of Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn
|
|
| Address | 509 Atlantic Avenue (at the corner of 3rd Avenue) Brooklyn, NY United States |
|---|---|
| Public transit |
|
| Owner | YWCA of Brooklyn |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 400 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Rebuilt | 2011 |
| Architect | Frederick Lee Ackerman and Alexander B. Trowbridge. Renovation by Warren Freyer |
Roulette Intermedium is a cool place in Brooklyn, New York City, where you can experience amazing live performances. It's a special spot for new music, dance, and other creative arts. Roulette started way back in 1978. It used to be in different parts of Manhattan, like Tribeca and SoHo. Now, it's in a newly fixed-up theater in downtown Brooklyn. Roulette is a non-profit group, which means they focus on supporting artists and sharing their experimental work with everyone.
Contents
The Story of Roulette Intermedium
How Roulette Began
Roulette Intermedium Inc. was created in 1978 by a group of artists. These included trombonist Jim Staley, sound artists David Weinstein and Dan Senn, and graphic artist Laurie Szujewska. They wanted a space where artists could show off their music, dance, and other creative projects.
The name "Roulette" came from Weinstein's music piece, "Café Roulette." This piece was inspired by "Dada," an art movement that used chance and randomness. Roulette started in Jim Staley's loft (a large apartment) in Tribeca. It was part of the growing "Downtown Music scene" in New York City. They put on about 50 to 90 concerts every year!
Jim Staley, one of the founders, explained their vision. He said the idea for Roulette was inspired by two famous musicians: John Coltrane (a jazz legend) and John Cage (known for experimental music). Staley believed that American experimental art should include both avant-garde jazz and new classical music. This mix of styles has always been a key part of Roulette's shows.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, Roulette became a very important place for improvised music. In 1985, they even held a festival that featured many of the best improvising musicians of that time.
Moving to New Places
In 1997, a loud French restaurant opened downstairs from Roulette's original spot. The music from the club was so loud it interfered with the concerts. Jim Staley said, "That was the beginning of the end." Even though Roulette stayed there for a few more years, new city rules about lofts made them look for a new home by 2003.
For the next three years, Roulette performed in many different places around the city. These included The Flea, The Performing Garage, and Symphony Space. By 2006, they often performed at a storefront space in SoHo called Location One. But they kept searching for a place that would be just right for them. Finally, in 2010, Roulette found a new permanent home.
Roulette's Brooklyn Home
In August 2010, Roulette signed a 20-year lease for a large concert hall in downtown Brooklyn. This space is about 7,000 square feet and has a cool Art Deco design. It's located near Atlantic and Third Avenues, not far from the famous Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The building in downtown Brooklyn is part of the historic YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) building. It was built in 1928 and designed by architects Frederick Lee Ackerman and Alexander B. Trowbridge. The building was made to be used for many things. It had housing for women, a theater, a pool, and health services. It was also the first YWCA to welcome people of all races into its homes and programs.
The theater was a popular spot for concerts, including orchestral and choral groups. It was also a major community center in Brooklyn. People came to Memorial Hall for many important events. These included popular USO dances during World War II, meetings for the Brooklyn Civil Rights Movement, and protests during the Vietnam War. Women's Rights groups met there in the 1970s, and a Peace Conference was held there in the 1980s. It was a central place for many community groups.
By the 1990s, the building was starting to fall apart. There was a lot of water damage, especially on the top floors. This made some of the living units unusable. By 2010, the YWCA had raised money and fixed up most of the eleven-story building. However, the theater part was still in bad shape.
On September 15, 2011, Roulette officially opened its doors in the newly renovated space. The theater now has two levels of seating for up to 400 people (or 600 standing). It has a great sound system, a big screen for films, and modern lighting. The stage can be moved around, and the floor is specially designed for dance. A review in The New York Times said the new space looked "cool" and "elegant" with its Art Deco style.
Roulette celebrated its opening with a four-night series of performances. Famous artists like Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn, and Henry Threadgill performed. People hoped this new venue would help bring more cultural energy to downtown Brooklyn.
Roulette TV and Archive
Roulette TV (RTV) was started in 1999. The idea was to let more people experience the concerts and artists' work, even if they couldn't be there live. RTV shows videos of live performances and interviews with the artists. This lets people all over the world see Roulette's programs and even get a peek behind the scenes. The very first RTV show was an interview and performance with Christian Marclay, which aired in early 2000.
The RTV collection has over 100 programs. They feature many different experimental musicians, composers, and multimedia artists. Each episode focuses on an artist's work, with interviews and video clips from their Roulette performance. You can see famous experimental artists as well as newer, rising stars.
You can watch RTV on cable TV in Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can also find it on Roulette's website, and on their Vimeo and YouTube channels.
The Roulette Concert Archive keeps records of over 3,000 events that Roulette has put on. This includes audio recordings, videos, posters, and photos. You can search through this huge collection on roulette.org/archive to learn more about past performances.
About the Founder: Jim Staley
Jim Staley, who helped start Roulette, studied trombone at the University of Illinois. After college, he joined the U.S. Army and spent three years playing in military bands during the Vietnam War. From 1971 to 1973, he was stationed in Berlin, Germany. There, he was inspired by the exciting, experimental music scene. He also met famous musicians like Slide Hampton and other artists involved in the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
In 1978, he moved to New York City and founded Roulette. Jim Staley has received awards for his support of artists, including the 2005 Susan E. Kennedy Memorial Award and the 2012 ASCAP award.
Jim Staley's Music Albums
Jim Staley has released several music albums:
- Don Giovanni (1992)
- Mumbo Jumbo (1994) with John Zorn, Bill Frisell, and Elliott Sharp.
- Northern Dancers (1996) with John Zorn and Zeena Parkins.
- Blind Pursuits (1997)
- Scattered Thoughts (2010) with Joey Baron and William Parker.
Einstein Records
In 1991, Jim Staley also started Einstein Records. This record label aimed to share the adventurous music of artists with people all over the world. It worked in a similar way to how Roulette supported artists in New York. Many artists who often worked with Roulette also released music on Einstein Records. These included John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins, Elliott Sharp, and Shelley Hirsch.
