A new dance-theater work is set to bring history, memory, and movement into powerful conversation. How Will I Remember This, the latest production from Reed Luplau, will make its world premiere in New York City, offering audiences a limited three-performance run that blends dance, music, and storytelling into an emotionally charged experience.
Presented by REED LUPLAU WORKS in association with The Institute for American Musical Theatre, the production runs May 22 through May 24 at the IAMT Theater. With tickets priced accessibly, the show positions itself as both an artistic statement and an invitation for broader audiences to engage with complex historical themes through contemporary performance.
At the heart of How Will I Remember This is a deeply reflective question: how do we preserve memory when history itself has been disrupted or erased? The work draws inspiration from Eldorado, a documentary that explores a vibrant 1920s queer cabaret nightclub in Berlin during the Weimar era. Once a cultural haven for LGBTQ+ expression, the club was ultimately shut down by the Nazis in 1933 — a loss that echoes through the production’s narrative.
Rather than presenting a straightforward retelling, Luplau approaches the material through a more intimate lens. The piece follows one man’s attempt to reconstruct the events that reshaped his world, using movement and fragmented memory to explore the emotional aftermath of cultural erasure. It’s a structure that allows the choreography to function as both narrative and feeling, blurring the line between past and present.
The production features a dynamic cast of eight professional dancers alongside four graduates from IAMT’s training program, reinforcing the company’s commitment to bridging emerging talent with seasoned performers. That mix of experience adds texture to the work, creating a layered stage presence that mirrors the complexity of the story itself.
Original music by Javier Dunn provides the sonic backbone of the piece, underscoring its emotional shifts with a contemporary yet atmospheric score. The creative team also includes scenic designer Sarina Rivera and costume designer DW, whose contributions help shape the visual language of the production.
Produced by Peter Marinaro with support from a group of dedicated collaborators, How Will I Remember This arrives as a timely meditation on history, identity, and resilience. While its initial run is brief, the production hints at a larger future, with additional performances expected to be announced.
In a moment when questions of memory and cultural preservation feel especially urgent, Luplau’s work doesn’t just revisit the past — it asks audiences to consider what it means to carry it forward.