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(2002, Trio, 30 minutes)

“In life and art, I am drawn to things that aren't precise, that don't match or add up. I want to bolt for the hills, but myriad ‘adult roles and responsibilities’ keep me in check. How did this happen to me? When did I get to be so big? In Free Drinks, there is a stripping away of layers, lots of running, galloping. The structures of the dance implode, allowing its imperfections and ‘seams’ to show.” – Keely Garfield

Small and incidental encounters overlap extended passages of lucid dancing, creating a collage of athletically inclined and emotionally charged portraits. In duets, trios and group sequences, dancers impart their essence, imprinting scent and sense, before finally taking leave of one another. A selection of evocative songs ranging from popular World War tunes to jazz standards to sixties classics provide a sub-text for the dance.

If I was where I want to be,
I would not be here wed to thee.
Instead I would be up a tree,
with only sky surrounding me,
and no responsibility,
as far as the eye could see.
–Keely Garfield

“Garfield has created an entire world of everyday fear and desire. Her expansive use of stage-time is hypnotic and very American. Her women are freshly beautiful and very funny.” Ballet Review

“Blessed with a vivid imagination and an unforced, effective understanding of what constitutes good theater, Garfield is simply one of the finest storytellers working in contemporary dance today.” Time Out New York

“David Mamet once wrote that a good piece of theater leaves one afterward thinking or talking about one’s own life rather than the work itself. A good performance resonates so deeply, or reflects with such specificity that one is easily led to reflection; in dance perhaps a strong work also leaves one physically moved. Keely Garfield’s new work...is the perfect mix of emotional intimacy and detailed description to achieve this.” Lesbian & Gay New York.

"[The dancers] performed Garfield's crisp, character-driven phrases to deadpan perfection.…In wedding dresses and veils, they alternated between ladylike pretense and surrender to the urges of secret commotion under their skirts.” Dance Magazine.

“Crazy-smart…superbly timed wildness…Garfield looks like a women beset: The baby needs changing, the postman's at the door, what's she doing next to me, and what was this step supposed to be? The choice of songs reflect the many hilarious and touching activities and moods.” The Village Voice.

“Free Drinks was unquestionably entertaining, what lingers are the savory nuances of Garfield's implication-filled, scatological vocabulary.” The Dance Insider

Premiere: The Duke on 42nd Street (New York, NY), February 20, 2002
Commissioned by the 92nd Street Y New Works in Dance Fund, and generously supported by the Jerome Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance and by the Live Music for Dance Program of the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, administered by the American Music Center. Some of the material for Free Drinks For Ladies With Nuts was created in studio space donated by The Ensemble Studio Theatre and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center.