Underground Underwater

Courtesy of the artists.
RSVP for September 12
RSVP for September 13

September 12 & 13, 6:30 PM
Flux IV, 56-21 2nd Street
Please note that in September, Flux IV is only open by appointment or for public programs.

RSVP to join us on September 12 and 13 for Underground Underwater, a puppet and dance play about the buried waterways of New York City and their species, organized by the artist duo, Piper Amphora (Heather Piper and Sally Beauti Twin)! The play follows a protagonist, Minetta, on her journey from modern Brooklyn, back in time to 1840’s “Underground,” a mythic space occupied by native species of Greater New York with a fantasy twist.  

Drawing on techniques from puppetry, costume, and theater fabrication, Underground Underwater transforms everyday, found materials into fantastical wearables inspired by the city’s hidden waterways — alongside live actors and dancers, hundreds of shadow puppets, experimental puppetry creations, and site-specific projections. Its spectacular third act is a 100+ member audience-participatory Orphic Night Parade with narrative surprises, performed at Flux IV and Hunter’s Point South Park, adjacent to Newtown Creek and the East River.

In conjunction with Underground Underwater, a window display of water clocks by Mary Mattingly and fountain sculpture by Tyler Kline will be on view at Flux IV during the first half of September, with viewing hours by appointment and during Costume Workshops. We invite the audience to participate in the play through costume and prop production beforehand at four Costume Workshops on Aug. 29, Aug. 30, Sept. 4, and Sept. 5, 2026. The two Performance Nights take place on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

Underground Underwater is presented as part of the artists’ 2026 NYSCA Fellowship.

Schedule

Costume Workshops (Drop-In)
Free and open to all skill levels. No materials needed but attendees are welcome to bring their own.

Performance Nights (Rain or Shine)
$20 General Admission. 15 reduced-price and 10 free tickets are available per night for those who need them. RSVP for your preferred date:

  • Saturday, September 12, Doors: 6:30 pm; Show: 7:00 – 9:00 pm (Ticket / RSVP)
  • Sunday, September 13, Doors: 6:30 pm; Show: 7:00 – 9:00 pm (Ticket / RSVP)

About the Artists

Piper Amphora Theatre Productions (Heather Rose Piper and Sally Beauti Twin) is the artist duo behind Underground Underwater. Since 2016, they have worked in light and beauty to inspire. Their methodology is teaching and togetherness with tenderness. Piper Amphora works generously with others of all ages and skill levels to realize their imaginations. Using ecologically salvaged materials, they bridge art communities with free workshops that precede productions.

In May 2025, thousands of people enjoyed Heather Piper and Sally Twin’s Tarot Arcana parade and its weeks of preceding workshops in costume, puppetry, and luminaries. Past productions provided six days and multiple large spaces for workshops, where they shared puppetry and costume-building techniques with the public — generating giant art, costumes, and ambitious props as dozens of attending scenic, lighting, and prop artists and puppeteers volunteered and helped realize their vision.

Mary Mattingly is an interdisciplinary artist who cares deeply about water access and believes in the power of public art. She founded Swale, an edible landscape on a publicly-accessible barge in New York City.

Tyler Kline is an artist, educator, curator, and believer in the power of art to revitalize communities and bring about social change; and the porous boundaries between painting, video, sculpture, performance, and printmaking.

Media & Visitor Contact

Meghana Karnik, Curator & Exhibitions Director
meghana@fluxfactory.org

Accessibility

Flux IV is located on the ground floor of 56-21 2nd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101 between the Queens Landing Boathouse & Environmental Center and Gotham Point apartments. The closest bus stop is 2 St/55 Ave on the Q101. The closest subway station is Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave on the 7 line (purple) and 21st St G line (green). The closest ferry pier is Hunter’s Point South Ferry Landing. A Citibike station is located at Center Blvd & Hunters Point South Ferry Landing. iPark (paid parking) is available on 1-20 56th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101. There is a public restroom left of our front door.

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