About

Sid Branca (née Samantha Branca Cook), American interdisciplinary artist, b. 1987.

The daughter of sculptor Slim Cook and writer/musician Barbara Branca, Sid was born and raised on Long Island, about 70 miles outside of New York City. In 2005 she moved to the Chicago’s South Side to attend the University of Chicago, and in 2009 she graduated with a B.A. in Theatre in Performance Studies. After spending a year living and working in the Chicago arts community, she will be relocating to Los Angeles in April 2010.

Sid has worked with and studied under a diverse collection of artists and educators, including 500 Clown, SITI Company, director Sean Graney, and Shakespeare scholar David Bevington. She is an alumna of the Physical Theatre Summer Intensive at Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield, MA. She is a Junior Board member for the Neo-Futurists, with whom she has studied extensively.

In addition to experience as a more traditional actor, Sid has adapted and directed works for the stage, written and devised original works, and participated in circus and site-specific guerilla performances. She has also worked in design (scenic and properties) and management (house and stage). Her poetry has been featured in the Smart Museum of Art in Chicago, and she served as Articles Editor and contributing photographer for the New York Times-featured magazine, Vita Excolatur. Her visual and installation art has been supported by the University of Chicago Festival of the Arts, Temple of Neon Gallery, and various private collections.

As an artist, Sid places an emphasis on task-driven physicality and honest storytelling. She is influenced by the corporeal focus of performers and theorists such as Grotowski and Decroux, as well as the brutal sincerity of performance artists such as Holly Hughes and Karen Finley. At 22 years old, she is working hard towards finding her own performative voice.

Upcoming Events:

Neo-Futurist Adaptation Workshop, the Neo-Futurarium, February 24th
The Living Room, Jessica Hannah at the Chicago Cultural Center, March 2010
Farewell Exhibition, #873, March 2010