Life And Trust is an immersive theatre production created in 2024 by Emursive.
Official website: lifeandtrustnyc.com/
Tickets: lifeandtrustnyc.com/tickets/
A mysterious new production from Emursive, the producing team behind Sleep No More, Life and Trust had its world premiere this summer at Conwell Tower, located at 69 Beaver Street in New York’s Financial District. Performances have begun in advance of an August 1st 2024 opening.
Written by Jon Roson, directed by Teddy Bergman, and featuring experience direction and scenic design by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn, Life and Trust is a riff on the Faustian legend set on the eve of the Great Crash, where audiences roam through a site-specific skyscraper that also serves as home to Conwell Coffee Hall. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Kuperman and RIck Kuperman, the production has creative casting and movement direction by Stefanie Batten Bland, and co-choreography and associate direction by Kristen Carcone, Lauren Yalango-Grant, Christopher Cree, and Emily Terndrup.
On the creative team are Emilio Sosa (costume designer), J. Jared Janas (hair and makeup designer), Jeanette Yew (lighting designer), Ray Sun (video designer), Taylor Bense (music director and composer), Owen Belton (music composer), Brendan Aanes, Michael Kiley, Nick Kourtides (sound designer), Greg Hanson (sound and show control systems designer), Grace Laubacher (scenic designer), Jessie Flynn (details designer and art director), Lorenzo Pisoni (magic designer), Alicia Rodis (intimacy director), and Ann James (sensitivity specialist).
The company of more than 40 includes Bria Bacon, Tony Bordonaro, Sophie Bortolussi, Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Marc J Cardarelli, Aaron Dalla Villa, Tiffany Violet De Alba, Charles-Alexis Desgagnés, Mia DiLena, Brendan Duggan, Zachary Eisenstat, Raymond Ejiofor, Kim Fischer, Jennifer Florentino, Reshma Gajjar, Douglas J Gillespie, Annie Grove, Alonso Guzman, Dorchel Haqq, Casey Bronwyn Howes, Karl Kenzler, Heather Lang, Majella Bess Loughran, Jodi McFadden, Nando Morland, Parker Murphy, Kevin M Pajarillaga, Marla Phelan, Randolph Curtis Rand, Luca Renzi, Gabriella Sibeko, Tori Sparks, Brandin Steffensen, Derek Tabada, Tony Torn, Mike Tyus, Robert Vail, Ryan VanCompernolle, Jacob Michael Warren, Maleek M Washington, and Madeline Wright.
20 Exchange Place, formerly the City Bank-Farmers Trust Building, is a skyscraper in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Completed in 1931, it was designed by Cross & Cross in the Art Deco style as the headquarters of the City Bank-Farmers Trust Company, predecessor of Citigroup. The building, standing at approximately 741 feet (226 m) with 57 usable stories, was one of the city's tallest buildings and the world's tallest stone-clad building at the time of its completion. While 20 Exchange Place was intended to be the world's tallest building at the time of its construction, the Great Depression resulted in the current scaled-back plan.
The building has a granite and limestone facade, while its internal superstructure is made of steel. The lower section of the facade fills an entire irregular city block, and contains giant piers supporting standalone figures depicting the "giants of finance", as well as decorations designed by David Evans. The main entrance on Exchange Place has a round arch with granite medallions representing the countries where City Bank Farmers Trust operated offices. The upper stories rise as a square tower with chamfered corners and is offset from the base.
The City Bank-Farmers Trust Building was built between 1930 and 1931, for the newly merged National City Bank of New York and the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company. It remained the company's headquarters until 1956 and was ultimately sold in 1979. The 16th through 57th floors of the building were converted from commercial to residential space by Metro Loft Management during the 1990s. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 20 Exchange Place as an official city landmark in 1996. It is also a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places district created in 2007.
20 Exchange Place occupies a full block along Exchange Place to the north, Hanover Street to the east, Beaver Street to the south, and William Street to the west. The surrounding street grid, built as part of the colony of New Amsterdam, remains mostly as documented in the 17th-century Castello Plan. As such, the block is irregular in shape. Nearby buildings include 55 Wall Street to the north; the Wall and Hanover Building to the northeast; the 1 Wall Street Court to the east; 56 Beaver Street and 1 William Street to the southwest; and 15 William and the Broad Exchange Building to the west.