Candice Breitz’s new piece New York, New York premiered Thursday night as part of Performa 09. It was laugh out loud funny, which made me reflect that there’s seemingly a lack of humor in contemporary art at the moment. Continuing her collaboration with twins, she held marathon character-building sessions where each set of twins developed a distinct and unique character. Act one started with a video introduction to each pair of twins in character, presented in screen test format. There’s Texas Liberty Star-Spangled Banner, who’s a creepy, self-loathing, rich Upper East Side socially awkward momma’s boy, fascinated with the poor, Archie comics, and all things gross. Shaun is the disillusioned, post-parental divorce teenager. Oun is the gypsyesque eastern European, possible hermaphrodite who loves to sit in trees. Lastly Sachikai is the narcissistic, optimistic star of her own show on the Food Network, Take Me Out. The twins are equally divided and each team takes a turn at improvising to a loose set of instructions.

Breitz has created a structure that the audience is fully aware of through the overtly informational program, which takes you through each step of the invented characters and what their loose directions are for this improved performance. What emerges through the characters that each set of twins created independent of the other sets is a patchwork vision of the American Dream. Although they’re all distinct, it’s the common ground that they’ve slipped into that’s most revealing.

You can catch the continuation and second act of New York, New York Friday night at 8:30 at the Abrons Arts Center.

Performa 09′ has commenced. With 110 events to catch the schedule can seem overwhelming. With an expansive approach to performance and its intersection with dance, music, visual art, poetry, film, architecture, and television, the programming is abundant with offerings. The schedule is designed so that you take in multiple performances or events in one night – you might have to shelp between venues – but the duration of many works are short and free. The 11 commissioned works require more time and a ticket. They include pieces by Guy Ben-Ner, Candice Breitz, Omer Fast, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Mike Kelley, Arto Lindsay, Wangechi Mutu, Christian Tomaszewski, and Yeondoo Jung, and premieres by artists Keren Cytter, Tacita Dean, Alica Framis, Loris Greaud, William Kentridge, and Joan Jonas.

Mixing generations and genres, this biennial takes place over the next three weeks. My random must see performances would be Joan Jonas’s new work Reading Dante. Based on Dante’s poem the Divine Comedy – combining footage from 4 unique sources to create her own “infernal paradise.” Jonas is a pioneer of performance-based work that incorporates video, other time-based media, and performance, and she anchors the biennial generationally. Candice Breitz’s New York, New York will feature 4 sets of identical twins, split into separate groups, each twin playing the same character developed by Breitz. This live performance, a first for Breitz, is based on improvisation. I recommend going to the first night out of the two, the second night the performers will have an idea of what to expect. Saya Woolfalk will present at The Studio Museum Harlem No Place: A Ritual of the Empathic. No Place is Woolfalk’s invented utopian project that has been realized in works on paper, video instillation, and now continuing with live performance. The Empathic’s are a group of women in No Place that will collaborate to try and realize the utopia of No Place in the present. Ryan McNamara will present Ecks Ecks Ecks – AKA – Sacred Band of Thebes – AKA – In Memory of Robert Isabell – AKA – Any Fag Could Do That at X Initiative. With a large cast of gay men/artist/friends of McNamara, this free-standing performance will incorporate dance, music, independent collaborations within the piece, and glitter!

I will put a halt on my suggestions. Go to Performa 09’s website or main hub in Cooper Square for tickets and info. Get your performance on.