Monday January 23rd
Title: copyright 1972
Instructions: Play keyboard and read poetry out of 1972 copyrighted poetry zine-book-thing that Sergey gave me from the African Alliance for Assistance Thrift Store.
Why? I needed something to do. There is so much written material out there that deserves a performance, so why not this random zine?
Rehearsal Discoveries: Didn't really rehearse, just set up the audio and began.
Performance Write Up: A good chunk of people were present. This type of performance was a shoe-in success because it highlights skillsets I have previously developed like piano playing, readings aloud, and pre-written poetry formatted neatly. It feels like a cop out for being so easy, some of these performances are total cop outs. I am pleased to offer entertainment sometimes, but I am not deeply rewarded reading someone else's poetry. What is rewarding? What must be done before death. What only you are capable of offering .The ones that you feel you could die happy after. Exalting other artists? Probably that, too. :P and also *yikes* face.
View on Youtube ---->>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTG2nnYa17Y
Tuesday January 24th
Title: consequence
Instructions: Fill the stage with balloons that contain the written word 'consequence'. Pop them.
Why? Had a psychedelic experience where the word consequence was revealed as token in representing the effects of our interactions with objects/space/time. Knocking over a glass from a table. Our domains are extensions of ourselves.
Rehearsal Discoveries: A friend called me when I woke up with a deep personal issue. I wanted to give them all of my attention, so instead of getting up and leaving to go blow up balloons like I had planned, I sat listening on the phone. The consequence of this was arriving close to 9:30. I had hoped this would provide enough time to inflate all of the balloons. That was not the case. I had difficulty figuring out how to insert the paper at first, but then I realized it was as simple as doing it before inflating the balloon (sounds pretty obvious when you put it on paper). I think I inflated about 12 balloons and still had about 10 more when 10 o'clock struck.
Performance Write Up: Because I had to inflate balloons still, I started the performance with inflating from behind the curtain, with the balloon popping through. This would have looked better if I had clipped the curtain closed, probably. However, it created an element of diversity to the performance. At some point, after throwing balloons in, I decided it was enough balloons and went to interact with them. I was surprised that they began popping without me really touching them. I wonder why. It was fun to sit and bounce on the balloons. The papers were small and may have been more effective if larger. Leah thought it was entertaining.
View on Youtube ---->>> https://youtu.be/808WrLh7tCI
Wednesday January 25th
Title: clothes I gave you
Instructions: Improvise with voice and mandolin
Why? I went to Nancy's show at the template and saw 4 of my lovers there, two prominent ones in clothes I gave them.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Too much going on in my life this week personally, just on the drive over decided to use the 2min long improv I did yesterday as the beginning of the meditation, singing, "Where, wear, where clothes?"
Performance Write Up: I said some subconscious thoughts about one of my friends that I wouldn't normally say out loud and got insecure, wanted to fix that, but just ended up getting more intense with how I was improvising out of the tension that developed in my head over saying it. It was nice to have a motif to come back to with the "where, wear, where clothes." My neighbor was there watching the performance, and she doesn't have any insight into my personal life, so I wondered what her watching me and listening to my personal thoughts was like. I don't want to create art that presents with this "look at me and my problems" type of energy. I just want to be a window or a mirror. The act of performing from your personal life ironically juxtaposes that last statement, however.
I tried to channel the energy of what happens when I am singing alone for no one to watch, and I think that's where I was for the most part. Except, I had a chunk of moments during this piece where I didn't feel like singing. This may be the worst possible feeling when you have committed to singing.
View on Youtube ---->>> https://youtu.be/Fr-sAskCDqc
Thursday January 24th
Title: the steaks are high
Instructions: Hang steaks high. Dress like a cow. Moo at people. Climb to the roof and continue mooing at people for the rest of the duration.
Why? It is a recent discovery that my female desire to have a baby connects me with the spirit of the cow. Also, the concept of hanging steaks is hilarious.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Sergey reinterpreted the performance to be the cow climbing to the roof and the day before, we said he would be a cattle herder looking for his cow, Evelyn. So I thought this would be easier because I didn't need to go defrost real steaks like I initially had planned, which was going to be the performance before the latter roof concept was conceived. Sergey was supposed to meet me at 9 am and at 9:15 I began calling him. At 9:30 I started making cardboard steaks because I hadn't heard from him, thinking he was asleep and not going to bring the ladder as promised. He calls me back at 9:40 and says he is on his way, so we get to do both the steaks and the cow. I didn't want to commit to a cow sound the whole time and I thought it would be funnier if I just spoke "Moo."
Performance Write Up: Got a lot of laughs, and one man in particular curled-over out of surprise and delight. Speaking moo was hilarious. I wish I had decided on what the cow wants ahead of time because I began the performance confused about why I began hanging steaks as the cow.
When you arrive on top of a roof you've never been on, one feels as if they have conquered a new land. I could have imagined it and the roof has always been right above me, accessible. To go just required a reason why. How nice it is to go on a roof. Who doesn't love to go on a roof?
It was hard to stay in character because of how hilarious it was. I meant to remain more serious as Evelyn throughout. But I laughed a little bit. These types of performances that really shake up reality on the street are so much more of a disruption for the public than many other ones that have taken place here. It's exciting power to wield. There was a moment when the police passed by, I thought, "Is this illegal?"
View on Youtube ---->>> https://youtu.be/YTNokH3-uz8
Friday January 25th
Title: clean dirty clean dirty
Instructions: Pour dirt on self. Clean off with water. Repeat for fifteen minutes.
Why? I think this happened the other day. It's interesting to imagine a why because there is so much philosophy that you could put onto this about endless cycles of existence. I want to relate this to Sean's sweeping event bin the way he talks about humanity's endless attempt to contain and organize chaos.
Rehearsal Discoveries: James wanted to participate. Sergey offered a bucket of good quality soil which we had prepared the other day for his friends' indoor houseplants. My neighbor, Pam, reminded me she had an outdoor spigot which greatly aided in the cleanup and performance too. We decided James would be the assistant and hand me the cup of dirt and watering can.
Performance Write Up: James decided he wanted in at some point and began the process with himself. This was not planned, but greatly appreciated. I was excited about how cold the water would be because I take cold showers and love a good challenge. It was cold; I loved it. The first douse of dirt, I rubbed into my scalp. The first water to rinse that dirt didn't budge that dirt at all, which made me feel like I would not be accomplishing the task of clean. And so, the performance essentially became 'dirty, dirty, water.'
In a hilariously ironic way, my next-door neighbors were engaged in the act of sweeping the negligible amount of dirt they had at the storefront. We were filling the sidewalk with dirt at the same time they were sweeping. They gave us some funny looks. I wish I had them on video, but the camera was facing the opposite direction. Ameen came to the performance and offered to help with the clean up which was much appreciated because there was so much dirt. So much.
View on Youtube ---->>> https://youtu.be/qjg_bMzH7Qg