About this Event
About INSTINCT AND EXTINCT:
When your home is changing, how do you stick to your life's purpose? Multidisciplinary artist Dominique Francis Grogan explores this concept from the perspective of some of America’s most critically endangered species: the Whooping Crane (Grus americana), the Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis), and the ʻĀkohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper).
This show is completely self-produced by the artist, with compelling alternative music production and provocative arias and a never-before-heard musical identity. Dominique has a background in classically trained vocal performance which is seamlessly combined with the modern sound of e-voque, their musical project with over 25 releases to date. Grogan worked with naturalists to source recent field recordings of these specific animals, which became an inspiration for telling the stories of their lives and experiences in an increasingly hostile natural world.
At the center of this work is an urgent political reality. Specifically, the Trump administration has proposed redefining the word 'harm' in the 1973 Endangered Species Act so that habitat destruction no longer legally counts as harming an endangered animal. Science is clear; destroying habitat is indirectly killing animals and entire ecosystems.
INSTINCT AND EXTINCT also touches on the still-present beauty of creatures and their habits: their musical hums, flutters, coos and calls. You will be reminded of the stunning rhythm and rhyme of mother nature.
This is a can't-miss premiere of a solo opera from award-winning experimental electronic musician Dominique Francis (aka e-voque). It is 25 minutes in length and completely performed by Dominique as a one-man show. Their piece LIQUESCENT premiered last summer on Governors Island for a three-month run, also exploring climate change and animal rights.
Cast & Creative Team
Writer, Producer, and Performer: Dominique Francis Grogan (e-voque)
Bat Recordings and Sound Production: Ben Kinsley
Whooping Crane: Nate Shipley
ʻĀkohekohe Calls: Brooks Rownd
About Ofrenda:
Ofrenda is a multidisciplinary performance that lives at the intersection of art, ecology, spirituality, memory, and migration. Created and performed by Argentine artist Natalia Martinez Sagan, the piece brings together live interpretations of beloved Argentine folklore songs through singing and dance, alongside storytelling, ritual, and a hand-crafted costume inspired by her cultural lineages.
Performed primarily in Spanish - Natalia’s first language and the second most spoken language in New York City and the United States - the piece is deeply informed by her early immersion in Argentine folklore music and dance, and by her mixed cultural lineages, including Polish, Spanish, and Indigenous ancestry from South America.
Ofrenda explores themes of belonging, remembrance, and reciprocity, blending them into a contemporary offering centered on honoring and thanking the Earth.
Cast & Creative Team
Creator, Performer, Costume Designer and Maker, and Producer: Natalia Martinez Sagan
Production Consultant: Julia Nuin
Creative and Audio Consultant: Justin Zerza
Vocal Coach: Gabriel Lima
Ritual and Spiritual Advisors: Ñusta and Nahuan (Inti Waka)
About Dominique Francis Grogan:
Dominique Francis Grogan (e-voque) is an award-winning artist originally from Portland, Oregon, now living in Brooklyn, NY. Coming from a classical background, they dove into music production, activism, and songwriting around 2020, a journey that led them to their current project, the otherworldly and genre-defying e-voque. They use their vocal training to create ambient atmospheres with stunning layering and harmonies. The production moves between fuzzy and poignant, drawing from genres like shoegaze, baroque pop, and experiential composition. A deep love of nature and conservation appears prominently throughout their work, often serving as the central focus of their album projects, performances, and installations.
About Natalia Martinez Sagan:
Natalia Martinez Sagan is an Argentine multidisciplinary artist, performer, designer, and lifelong student of spiritual practices. Professionally trained in musical theater, singing, and dance, she has performed internationally, in both English and Spanish. Her artistic practice is deeply informed by Argentine folklore, regenerative ways of living, and spiritual ecology, and explores her cultural intersections and lineages, including Polish, Spanish, and Indigenous ancestry from South America. An environmental activist since childhood, Natalia is the Creative Director of Martinez Sagan Studio, through which she offers services focused on ecological creativity: exploring how to live more aligned with the wisdom of the Earth. An environmental activist since childhood, Natalia is the Creative Director of Martinez Sagan Studio, through which she offers services focused on ecological creativity: exploring how to live more aligned with the wisdom of the Earth.
About the CWP Evolution Festival
The fifth annual CWP EVOLUTION FESTIVAL presents original works of theater, dance, music, comedy, and interdisciplinary performance by NYC-based artists at venues across Manhattan in June and September 2026. Participants receive free performance & rehearsal space, marketing & technical support, a guaranteed artist fee, performance photography and archival videography, and more! Learn more about the festival and the 20+ other shows on the schedule at www.centeratwestpark.org/evolution-festival-2026
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 55.20
