AVAC Memories, A Musical About The Roosevelt Island Underground Garbage System Returns Tonight For One Night Only Sound Bites Performance - Tickets Available

Image From Herrin/Terry

As previously reported:

...Since 1975, the Automated Vacuum Collection System (“AVAC”) has been transporting the majority of Roosevelt Island’s solid waste through tubes connecting the residential buildings to a sanitation facility located by the Roosevelt Island Bridge....

In May 2010 the Fast Trash exhibit on Roosevelt Island's unique pneumatic underground garbage disposal system opened at Gallery RIVAA and included a musical performance of AVAC Memories described as:

... AVAC Memories tells the story of five pieces of household waste who are tossed into a Roosevelt Island garbage can and, together, go on a thrilling journey through the AVAC sanitation system. As they are dropped down garbage chutes, sucked through pneumatic tubes, crunched in a compactor and shipped off to the dump in a garbage barge, our grimy heroes learn some valuable lessons about friendship, courage and perseverance in the face of adversity....

The AVAC Memories musical is back for a performance later tonight as part of SOUND BITES, a one night only off-Broadway event at The 47th Street Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here.

I recently asked AVAC Memories co-author John Herrin what got him interested in a play about the Roosevelt Island garbage system. Mr. Herrin replied:

This piece was originally part of an evening of short musicals produced by Prospect Theater Company in 2009. The show was called "Map Quest" and consisted of works by several different writing teams. Each team was given an address in New York City and asked to write a short musical about that location. Alden Terry and I were asked to visit 475 Main Street on Roosevelt Island. We explored the island and considered all kinds of possibilities for the storyline, but, we kept coming back to the AVAC system. It's such an unusual thing to find in a residential neighborhood, and we suspected (rightly) that very few people in New York even know that the AVAC exists. Once we settled on the subject matter, it seemed natural to make our characters pieces of trash so that audience could join them on a journey through the system. As we worked on the piece, we got more interested in the history of Roosevelt Island and its role as a kind of laboratory for urban development. It's a unique place, and we really enjoyed exploring the island and writing about it.

Here's more on AVAC Memories



and from its web site.