Me at The Firebird, 2005

The other day I was speaking with a friend who is going to London and I told her about Punchdrunk and their performance of The Firebird Ball in 2005, which is on my list of Top Ten Arts Experiences of All Time, made all the better by the fact that the reason I bought a ticket in the first place was somewhat obligatory. My boss’s niece was in the play and it was mostly sold out … which is why on my last night in London I found myself taking the tube to Brixton and shivering in an alley with a group of around 20 people waiting to be let into a warehouse. Those of you who haveand family in the theater know that an audience of 20 outside a warehouse is not unusual, so I had no expectations whatsoever.

posters taped to easel in dark alley ... what to expect?

This was pre-smartphone, so we actually talked to one another. Then we were let in to the warehouse, handed white masks a la Clockwork Orange, invited to roam the old factory building, and warned not to speak except at the bar. The audience was quickly separated from one another as we followed dancers through three floors and at the center of it all was singer in a red-lit cabaret-style club. There were many more people inside than there were outside. The audience could wander around to see the performance and stop back at the club whenever they wanted. The storyline was a blending of Romeo and Juliet and Stravinsky’s The Firebird. It was magical, and deservingly thrust Punchdrunk into the spotlight.

Punchdrunk creates site-specific theatrical dioramas where the audience follows actors or dancers around a large space and goes into rooms on their own to touch, feel, read and investigate. It embodies a feeling of shared cultural exploration, my magical experience in London turned out to be the sleeper hit of the season. Here in San Francisco many companies are trying to crack the nut of the interactive, highly-participatory performance/installation and also how to balance art with commerce. This quote from a Guardian article about Punchdrunk circa 2006 says it all:

“Often those kinds of gigs are soul destroying. You are up there busting a bollock and no one is taking the blindest bit of notice – they’re all too busy with the champagne. In the end it’s not meaningful and you have no control. You’re just there as part of the decorations. There’s no art in it, only money in your pocket.” —John-Paul Zaccarini

As an arts administrator, not a day goes by anymore without my hearing or reading something about art, commerce, layered participation and/or “new models.” Punchdrunk had the vision to begin practicing a form of interactive theater that has only become more in-demand over the past five years. Also, kudos to them for paying artists AND using more than 200 volunteers to create their latest installation, Sleep No More in New York City. This is their NYC debut and if you are in New York go see it.

These days it is de riguer for arts organizations to have some sort of  socially relevant talk accompanying a performance or exhibition. Liz Lerman and the CFA take it up a notch (or five) because they are masters at combining multilevel arts participation and community collaboration with economies of scale, the more deeply you look at this partnership, the more there is to see. The premiere of Ferocious Beauty sparked another idea for collaboration, and last week the Wesleyan Hughes Program in Life Sciences and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange launched Science Choreography, an online toolkit for the embodied exploration of science through dance.

The evolution of Ferocious Beauty: Genome is inspiring on my levels, the question on my mind this morning is how as arts organizations we can “put our planning where our mouth is.” Alongside our protests of “show me the money!”, attention must be paid to the following:

• What are we doing as arts leaders to show funders and other key stakeholders the vision, scholarship and community benefit to justify cross-sector investment?
• Who in the field is most successful in this, and what can we learn from them?
• How do we convince grass-roots collaborators to invest time now for a project that will take years to develop?
• How do project leaders assess stability in partnerships early on, to ensure that the big-vision, long-term plan succeeds?

No answers today, just food for thought and inspiring examples to start the week off right. Go Wes!

On Saturday, October 30th I’ll be one of the esteemed judges for SQUART (Spontaneous Queer Art!) over at The Lab. According to the website, “SQUART was originally conceived by Laura Arrington, out of the desire to foster community and create work without preciousness.”

Process begins at 6pm and the show starts at 8pm. Confirmed Performers are: Peter Max Lawrence, Anna Martine Whitehead, Rachael Dichter, Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos Jr., Evan Johnson, Minna Harri, Harold Burns, Kirk Read, Jesse Hewit, Jai Arun Ravine, Miriam Wolodarski, Kevin Seaman, Kyra Rice and Liz Tenuto.

I’ve been hearing the buzz about SQUART for a while now so I am thrilled to be playing a role in the next one. Plus, they have a cool-lookin’ poster that reminds me of a cross between Paula Scher and Dia de los Muertos.

You can RSVP here.

With that in mind, Claudia La Rocco’s New York Times article about negotiations between the 92nd Street Y and choreographer Pavel Zustiak is a fascinating look behind the scenes of a contract dispute.

Permalink

The LA Times offers something a little more substantial , and Minnesota Public Radio touches on the film aspects of the production.

Despite mixed reviews, the production is sold out … perhaps a testimony to the value of deep programming, meaningful partnerships and giant spectacle?

(photo: Cameron Wittig, Walker Art Center)

Interview with Ann Carlson, choreographer and participant in the Creative Campus initiative of Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Ann Carlson is participating in Wesleyan University’s Creative Campus project, “Feet to the Fire.”

Interview excerpted from The Art Agenda. Originally broadcast on 88.1fm, WESU, Middletown on May 1, 2008.

“How are you doing? How are you doing? How are you doing. Art you having fun? It’s really great. Are you having fun? I’m having fun. Absolutely. We’re having a great time. Are you having a good time? Having a great time. Do you love [name of arts organization]? Uh, yeah? It’s a great place. This is a wonderful night. Are you having a great time? I’m having a great time! It’s a great place. You always look great. No you look great! You’re not leaving. [Martini break]. So, you’re having an okay time? We’re having a great time. We’re having a great time. We do a lot of corporate events. This has been wonderful. Everyone’s so excited. You’re doing a great job, and you look great. You look really good. So, are you having an okay time tonight? It’s really cool, yeah, it’s really fun. Well, you look good. Thanks. You’re welcome. You look good too. Thank God you’re here. I’m out of cigarettes. We were at the opera gala before this. People love opera. [Silence]. [Dancing]. [Making out while dancing]. Okay, so we’re saying good night. Have a good night. Buh-bye.”

Permalink