American Idle
Audio Guide
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Broadway between 46th & 47th Sts
New York, NY
Start:
Jul 9, 2025
End:
Wednesday, July 9 | 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
(Rain Date: Thursday, July 10)
View Public Programming
Broadway between 46th & 47th Sts
New York, NY
Start:
Jul 9, 2025
End:
Wednesday, July 9 | 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
(Rain Date: Thursday, July 10)
View Public Programming
Times Square Arts Public-Artist-In-Residence Maia Chao developed a live performance for Time Square by observing the social behaviors in the public plazas of one of the city’s busiest centers. The hour-long performance, choreographed by Lena Engelstein, will take place on Wednesday, July 9 at 3pm, 6pm, and 8pm in the middle of Times Square.
American Idle by Maia Chao
Choreographed by Lena Engelstein
Wednesday, July 9 | 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
Duffy Square | Broadway & 46th St
In her artistic practice, Chao becomes deeply embedded in her environment, and in American Idle, the artist blurs the line between life and performance, mirroring the dynamics of the crowds and real life scenarios.
Choreographed by Lena Engelstein, and devised with dancers Miguel Alejandro Castillo, Marin Day, Benjamin Hard, and Ampersand Paris, American Idle is a movement series drawn from Chao’s studies of the crowds’ bustling patterns amidst the blinking lights in Times Square. Through durational looping and techniques of doubling, glitching, and mirroring, the piece enacts a recursive system where unscripted social behavior becomes performance, and the outline of certain archetypes begin to form — the kissing couple, the tired mother, the lost tourist. American Idle explores how the unique conditions of a public space can homogenize public behavior, including the performance of self for the ever-present camera. In this feedback loop of image and enactment — being seen supersedes being present. Blurring the roles of spectator and subject, American Idle momentarily reframes the commodification of attention, visibility, and movement in one of the most densely populated commercial districts in the country.
As part of her research, Chao shadowed the Times Square Alliance’s sanitation and public safety teams, whose often-overlooked work revealed a practiced eye for noticing what the average visitor may tune out — cracks in the sidewalk, graffiti on a street sign, a sticker on a bench. The sanitation and safety staff document each of the tasks that require repair or removal, capturing the fleeting moments when what is meant to disappear becomes visible: french fries scattered across the plaza, an empty stroller left on the sidewalk. From these evocative images, Chao began inventing narratives, imagining the everyday dramas that gave rise to these accidental tableaus, then turning her attention to the close observation of pedestrian behaviors, which ultimately shaped American Idle, the performance.
As well, Chao consulted with the broad network of the Times Square Alliance, including the in-district organization, Theater of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC), the non-profit dedicated to using theatrical games and exercises to empower communities from adverse backgrounds. In these programs, actors and audiences engage in theatrical brainstorming with the aim of catalyzing creative change on individual, community, and political levels. Chao pursued further training in this method with independent practitioners, Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews and Christian Hayden.
Designed around the unique characteristics and communities of Times Square, the Times Square Arts Public-Artist-in-Residence program supports multidisciplinary artists interested in exploring social, cultural, or political concerns within the context of New York City’s most iconic commercial and cultural district. As part of the program, Times Square Arts facilitates connections with relevant individuals and organizations in Times Square — which could include theaters, restaurants, retailers, hotels, non-profits, or street vendors — and provides resources and expertise from the broader Times Square Alliance team across departments, including from operations, to policy and research. In addition to a fee covering the residency period, artists are eligible for funding toward the public presentation of an artwork in Times Square.
American Idle is created in collaboration with choreographer Lena Engelstein and devised with dancers Miguel Alejandro Castillo, Marin Day, Benjamin Hard, and Ampersand Paris.
Theater of the Oppressed Facilitation: Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews + Christian Hayden
Project Research and Development: Ree Bradley
3D Modeling: Elijah Ober
Graphic Design: M Slater
Proposal Editor: Blanche Brown
Crowd Psychology Consultation: John Drury
Rehearsal Space: Center for Performance Research
Times Square Arts Public-Artist-In-Residence Maia Chao developed a live performance for Time Square by observing the social behaviors in the public plazas of one of the city’s busiest centers. The hour-long performance, choreographed by Lena Engelstein, will take place on Wednesday, July 9 at 3pm, 6pm, and 8pm in the middle of Times Square.
American Idle by Maia Chao
Choreographed by Lena Engelstein
Wednesday, July 9 | 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
Duffy Square | Broadway & 46th St
In her artistic practice, Chao becomes deeply embedded in her environment, and in American Idle, the artist blurs the line between life and performance, mirroring the dynamics of the crowds and real life scenarios.
Choreographed by Lena Engelstein, and devised with dancers Miguel Alejandro Castillo, Marin Day, Benjamin Hard, and Ampersand Paris, American Idle is a movement series drawn from Chao’s studies of the crowds’ bustling patterns amidst the blinking lights in Times Square. Through durational looping and techniques of doubling, glitching, and mirroring, the piece enacts a recursive system where unscripted social behavior becomes performance, and the outline of certain archetypes begin to form — the kissing couple, the tired mother, the lost tourist. American Idle explores how the unique conditions of a public space can homogenize public behavior, including the performance of self for the ever-present camera. In this feedback loop of image and enactment — being seen supersedes being present. Blurring the roles of spectator and subject, American Idle momentarily reframes the commodification of attention, visibility, and movement in one of the most densely populated commercial districts in the country.
As part of her research, Chao shadowed the Times Square Alliance’s sanitation and public safety teams, whose often-overlooked work revealed a practiced eye for noticing what the average visitor may tune out — cracks in the sidewalk, graffiti on a street sign, a sticker on a bench. The sanitation and safety staff document each of the tasks that require repair or removal, capturing the fleeting moments when what is meant to disappear becomes visible: french fries scattered across the plaza, an empty stroller left on the sidewalk. From these evocative images, Chao began inventing narratives, imagining the everyday dramas that gave rise to these accidental tableaus, then turning her attention to the close observation of pedestrian behaviors, which ultimately shaped American Idle, the performance.
As well, Chao consulted with the broad network of the Times Square Alliance, including the in-district organization, Theater of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC), the non-profit dedicated to using theatrical games and exercises to empower communities from adverse backgrounds. In these programs, actors and audiences engage in theatrical brainstorming with the aim of catalyzing creative change on individual, community, and political levels. Chao pursued further training in this method with independent practitioners, Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews and Christian Hayden.
Designed around the unique characteristics and communities of Times Square, the Times Square Arts Public-Artist-in-Residence program supports multidisciplinary artists interested in exploring social, cultural, or political concerns within the context of New York City’s most iconic commercial and cultural district. As part of the program, Times Square Arts facilitates connections with relevant individuals and organizations in Times Square — which could include theaters, restaurants, retailers, hotels, non-profits, or street vendors — and provides resources and expertise from the broader Times Square Alliance team across departments, including from operations, to policy and research. In addition to a fee covering the residency period, artists are eligible for funding toward the public presentation of an artwork in Times Square.
American Idle is created in collaboration with choreographer Lena Engelstein and devised with dancers Miguel Alejandro Castillo, Marin Day, Benjamin Hard, and Ampersand Paris.
Theater of the Oppressed Facilitation: Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews + Christian Hayden
Project Research and Development: Ree Bradley
3D Modeling: Elijah Ober
Graphic Design: M Slater
Proposal Editor: Blanche Brown
Crowd Psychology Consultation: John Drury
Rehearsal Space: Center for Performance Research
Support for Maia Chao’s American Idle is provided in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Broadway between 46th & 47th Sts
New York, NY
Wednesday, July 9 | 3pm, 6pm, 8pm
(Rain Date: Thursday, July 10)
Maia Chao is an artist who works collaboratively in performance, film, and social practice. She is co-creator of the social practice project, Look at Art. Get Paid (2015-20) with Josephine Devanbu, which piloted at the RISD Museum. She has since made collaborative works with artists Ethan Philbrick, Fred Schmidt-Arenales, and Ree Bradley. Chao has created commissioned films and performances for the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, The Shed, and MoMA Education. Her work has been presented at the Bronx Museum, Cuchifritos Gallery, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Boston Center for the Arts, Tufts University Art Galleries, Smack Mellon, and Oregon Contemporary. She has completed fellowships and residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center, Pioneer Works, and Queer|Art. In 2022, she was named a Pew Fellow and in 2023, she attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Based in Philadelphia, Chao is an artist-member of the art collective and DIY space, Vox Populi. She holds a BA from Brown University, and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is currently full time faculty at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Learn More About
Maia Chao
Maia Chao is an artist who works collaboratively in performance, film, and social practice. She is co-creator of the social practice project, Look at Art. Get Paid (2015-20) with Josephine Devanbu, which piloted at the RISD Museum. She has since made collaborative works with artists Ethan Philbrick, Fred Schmidt-Arenales, and Ree Bradley. Chao has created commissioned films and performances for the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, The Shed, and MoMA Education. Her work has been presented at the Bronx Museum, Cuchifritos Gallery, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Boston Center for the Arts, Tufts University Art Galleries, Smack Mellon, and Oregon Contemporary. She has completed fellowships and residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center, Pioneer Works, and Queer|Art. In 2022, she was named a Pew Fellow and in 2023, she attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Based in Philadelphia, Chao is an artist-member of the art collective and DIY space, Vox Populi. She holds a BA from Brown University, and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is currently full time faculty at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Learn More About
Maia Chao
Maia Chao is an artist who works collaboratively in performance, film, and social practice. She is co-creator of the social practice project, Look at Art. Get Paid (2015-20) with Josephine Devanbu, which piloted at the RISD Museum. She has since made collaborative works with artists Ethan Philbrick, Fred Schmidt-Arenales, and Ree Bradley. Chao has created commissioned films and performances for the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, The Shed, and MoMA Education. Her work has been presented at the Bronx Museum, Cuchifritos Gallery, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Boston Center for the Arts, Tufts University Art Galleries, Smack Mellon, and Oregon Contemporary. She has completed fellowships and residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center, Pioneer Works, and Queer|Art. In 2022, she was named a Pew Fellow and in 2023, she attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Based in Philadelphia, Chao is an artist-member of the art collective and DIY space, Vox Populi. She holds a BA from Brown University, and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is currently full time faculty at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Learn More About
Maia Chao
