April 18, 2006

There's a long history of scatalogical influences in performance art and dance. And other folks have written on this subject far more lucidly than I could ever hope to do. But the long and short of it is - performers have done all sorts of things with, to, and about their bodies and bodily functions. None of it is new at this point. But on the subject of Marissa and urine: her performance raised so many hackles in me that I feel the need to look at it more closely. Fact is, if you do that kind of thing on a stage, in front of other people, you are responsible for the building of a psychic wall which must be torn down or climbed over. In this day & age, it's safe to say that the shock value has mostly worn off; even so, it's not feasible to expect us as spectators to see that kind of thing on your terms, because it hits us where we live, so to speak. My first response in watching it was to think - she's very brave; I'm not sure I could do that sort of thing in front of strangers. But I had a really hard time framing it artistically for myself, because I was so transfixed by the act itself and by the implications it held for me as a theater owner and a person. And I'm not sure that's what Marissa wanted. In the end, the things she & Kayvon did with urine were actually quite moving and made a lot of sense within the framework of performance. But it took me a long time to see it. Just because something is difficult and requires bravery, is it worth doing in a public context? That's Marissa's question to answer, obviously, not mine. My opinion is: sometimes yes, sometimes no. I didn't have a context for any of this until I spent a little time with Marissa's installation - which happend after I'd already seen the performance more than once. And then it all clicked for me. When confronted with the volume of material related to her accident and her physical situation since that time, it became immediatley clear to me that she had no choice in the matter but to go full out. Hence the urine. How else to represent an experience so rooted in the body and its failings? Seems to me, the only way to not be glib about it is to lay it all out in front of us, as is.

April 10, 2006

Those of us in love with peace and quiet are looking forward to a rest from the crowd-pleasing madness that was Cary from the Cock. But don't misunderstand - we will miss her. For a low-budget solo show, she cobbled together an enormous tribe of collaborators/helpers/special guests, and she packed the house every night with a whole new kind of crowd. And considering the crazy dazzle dancers pedigree, the work itself was really well thought out and oddly...considerate. This was Cary's first self-created thing, so I booked her based on blind faith and a hunch. Glad to know my instincts are not always wrong! And I'm glad she had the guts to step out on her own, in this way.

This week is Marissa's Burden. More on that later.

On Friday night I made my way 2 blocks over to the Irish Center to see Aisling Arts. They've been around for at least a couple of years but have been flying under the radar so to speak (not a bad thing) so there was no real reputation preceding them. I was taken aback. The Irish Center is perhaps the least ideal space for a theater performance in New York. But it was perfect. I'm a theater director who really hates the theater, and it was nice to see something so comfortable with its own material limits. The play itself was really intelligent, and the environmental staging - though it could have benefitted from real design elements - was smart. There were hints of physicality that were really enticing and I wish had been taken further. But the acting was simple and good. They deserve more attention than they're getting.

Join our mailing list.

Live Sh-- Alternative Presenter Fair

1/10 & 1/11 2009

THROW

February 17 2009, 7PM