For three days only, experience bold new work from visionary artists redefining what’s possible on stage. Back from touring east Asia, Official Puppet Business presents their international sensation Bill’s 44th, described by the NYTimes as “buoyant, mesmerizing, joy-inducing.”
PLUS HERE is honored to host a variety of Indigenous artists showcasing their extraordinary work, featuring Inuit-soul musical group Pamyua, an excerpt of Say Their Names by Marcie Rendon presented by Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble, the comedic stylings of Shishonia Livingston, and the poetic musical vibes of NYC’s own Ms.Josephine. All shows featured in the Indigenous Artist Showcase will take place in HERE’s lobby, and are free!
All projects are available for touring!
Bill’s 44th
Friday, Jan 9 @ 2
Friday, Jan 9 @ 6:30
Saturday, Jan 10 @ 11
Saturday, Jan 10 @ 8
Sunday, Jan 11 @ 2
Indigenous Artists Showcase
All performances free.
Friday, January 9th @ 6:15 – PAMYUA
Inuit-soul musical group that blends Yup’ik culture with influences from around the world.
Saturday, January 10th @ 12:15 – Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble
An excerpt from “Say Their Names” by Marcie Rendon.
Saturday, January 10th @ 7:45 – Shishonia Livingston & Ms.Josephine
Stand-up comedy and live music.
About Bill’s 44th
Bill’s 44th, the Drama Desk-nominated, two-time Edinburgh Fringe sellout, and New York Times Critic’s Pick, is BACK for a few more hometown birthday parties!
The streamers are hung, the punch has been poured, and the cake is just begging to be eaten! Our anxious host Bill has planned his party to the last detail—now all that remains is for his guests to arrive. Desperate to fill his apartment with camaraderie and celebration, Bill’s imagination runs wild. Many styles of puppetry, raucous balloons, and a cheeky piece of crudité all collide to examine the pitfalls of impatience, the wonder of loneliness, and the universal passage of time.
Bill’s 44th is a full-length wordless puppet show for grown-ups created by Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck.
About Pamuya
PAMYUA is an Inuit band inspired by the yuraq tradition from Yukon/Kuskokwim River delta region in Southwestern Alaska. Founded in 1995, Qacung, Ossie Kairaiuak and Phillip Blanchett began performing a cappella; centering Yup’ik traditional dance to connect with audiences. The songs and stories carry traditional messages that reflect ancestral wisdom from the north. PAMYUA primarily performs with a full band for concerts, but also shares interactive workshops similar to this event.
About Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble
Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble is a Native-led creative collective rooted in Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota). We are dedicated to uplifting the stories, specificity, and lived experiences of Dakota, Lakota, Anishinaabe, and the Indigenous peoples throughout the Twin Cities and the greater Midwest. Our name—Mni Giizhik, meaning Cedar Water—honors both Dakota/Lakota (mni, “water”) and Anishinaabe (giizhik, “cedar”) languages, reflecting our commitment to bringing our cultures together through the living, changing, and healing power of performance.
About Shisonia Livingston
Shishonia Livingston is Los Angeles based writer, performer and activist. As a standup comic she has toured and performed widely across the US and Canada.
About Ms.Josephine
Josephine Richardson known to some as her stage name Ms.Josephine is a singer/songwriter and Theater Administrator based in New York City and New Jersey. A lifetime NYC native community member descending from the Rappahannock, Ho-Chunk, and Kuna nations. With a background in Musical Theater and Southern Style Pow Wow Music, She explores themes of grief, love, empowerment, sexuality, and native cosmologies in the ever changing metropolis of New York City through her soulful sound and colorful lyrics. She has performed her original songs at Lincoln Center (Out of Doors Fest 2021), We Are The Seeds (Philly 2022), Bearded Ladies Cabaret (Philly Fringe Fest 2023), Pawanka Funds 10th Anniversary (2024), La MaMa’s Annual Gala and most notably Relative Arts Runway show for Indigenous New York Fashion
Week 2025. She has an extensive background as a theater performer in projects like Red Moon Blues (New York Theater Workshop, NY), Dogfight (Second Stage Theater, NY), Ajijaak On Turtle Island (The New Victory Theater, NY), & Don’t Feed The Indians-A Divine Comedy Pageant (La MaMa E.T.C, NY). She also was a featured vocalist on the soundtrack of the documentary Dawnland which won an Emmy in 2019 for Music & Sound.
Currently, she is in the process of recording/releasing her new singles “Crown Royal Kisses” & “SHEETS” and continuing to serve as the Managing Director of Safe Harbors NYC (@safeharborsnyc).
For more information, visit her Instagram @chiefjosephine