present: Dale, Jeff A, Jeff A, Marc
Marc led off with his “anxieties” over specific aspects of performance. Used the storm scene from Lear as an example: what creates the effect of the moment? Placement in story/performer/other stuff
Interest in developing a piece that takes the elements that contribute to the moment. Also, what is our attitude towards story—are we [doomed to be] story-tellers?
A concern that all performance is mediated today, i.e., CD, DVD, film, tv.
Herewith, each member’s agenda:
- MARC: I want to find out what my voice can do; avoid Lear
- JEFF B: (1) vague ideas about piece about mill village/Strike of 1934—allow audience a way into that mindset—piece to be performed for groups/schools here and yon; (2) help Marc/Lacuna manifest Marc’s impulses; (3) Lear
- JEFF A: personal growth—the group challenges me to think beyond my own boundaries
- DALE: “empty vessel”; challenge of creating whatever others want to work on
Storm Drain
Marc had sent a text for exploration, “Storm Drain.”
Here’s the actual storm drain that inspired the text.
Marc: wrote it to explore interest in the concrete; audience is challenged to be present in the event—non-predictive, non-interpretive.
WE WANT THE AUDIENCE TO TALK AFTERWARDS, NOT DURING.
He referenced a piece by Beckett (Quad?) that consists of nothing but very precise stage movements.
At this point Dale got on his feet. Marc demonstrated the two metal bowls he had brought. A bit of water was in each, and as he struck the bowl, he moved it about and the tone was modified by the sloshing of the water. He also brought his guitar.
Jeff and Jeff looked through the 1930s songbooks that Marc had brought. We sang some songs, riffed on others.
Dale dragged out some of the previous Lacuna materials: the Vocal Sequence poster, plus some of the explanatory materials associated with it, plus the “moment cards” he developed for use during the Bear explorations.
Putzing around. Working with the Monica (“Storm Drain”) text via the Vocal Sequence.
Dale asked for a task. Jeff A told him to dance while he (Jeff) read the Monica text.
Jeff B began interviewing Dale as a mill worker; that segued into Jeff B becoming a mill worker himself. They improvised a wide-ranging conversation about the mill village days. Marc improvised with the guitar, changing styles, rooting around the lyrics of “Old Wooden Bucket.” The conversation took on Marxist undertones (of course).
Finally that wound down. We debriefed a bit (comments below), and adjourned.
And the bowl. Improvised with the guitar and bowl. Used the bowl as a slide on the strings. Tried hammering the strings while I also hammered the bowl and rocking it to move the water, combining water bowl and delta blues as a structure participating in the conversation. Was so absorbed in the technical challenges, I had trouble following the conversation. Jeff A. suggested that might have been a good thing.
Good slip: originally wrote “participanting”
Everyone’s work challenged me to be more precise in how I participate and in how I regard the work of others. Very inspiring.
Thought it was noon when we quit. It was one. Absorption.
Another good slip, had it been made, would have been: participainting.