(Stage)(Heart)Beats

You might have to turn your speakers up for this - the dynamics are quite exaggerated and the bass is both tactile/physical and aural. More and more I find that sound is playing a significant role in my thesis - in the characterization of the performer and the stage, and in the experiential qualities of the performances (for both the audience and myself).

Again, the stage has a presence, a life, a heart beat...

Endurance

To get to the top you must take large steps. To get to the bottom you must take careful steps. You don't stay at the top for long. You don't always look so good at the top either. How many times can one go up and come down?

The Performer & The Stage

I'm just fooling around in the studio - don't mind me:

Who Dare Disturbs My SLUMBER!!!!

In retrospect this little experiment reminded me about that particular scene in the Wizard of Oz when the rumbling, roaring, entity floating in front of our heroes turns out to be a small bumbling man behind a curtain in front of a control board. In some ways the performer inside the stage at the soundboard, shaking the stage with his bare hands, is the man hiding behind the smoke and mirrors act. Unlike the giant green meanie however, I feel the stage really does have a personality - a head, a voice, a presence. So while it may not be productive to compare the two (because Oz turned out to be just an elaborate illusion) the larger than life feel of the wizard resonates with me. I can guarantee that I won't come out from inside and start handing out brains, hearts, or courage.

More Video Stills

Stage Presence

Stage Presence

Stage Presents

Presence

Presents

A Presence

A voice

Turn Around Performance Video

Video Stills

The possibility stands that I could be displaying photos with recorded audio of the performances instead of videos on multiple monitors. This emphasizes sound over moving image. Above are stills taken from the video for the performance "Five Stages - Getting To Know the Stage."

Breathing Exercises - Instructions

Here are the set of instructions I read in the performance Breathing Exercises to Raise the Collective Heart Rate and Forget About Your Butterflies.

for Performer and/or Audience

1. Stand up straight, hands at your sides, chest out, head facing forward with your chin up.

2. Inhale, slowly raising your arms from your sides up above your head.

3. Repeat as many times as desired.

4. After repeating step 2 enough times begin to incorporate the body in the upward motion created by the arms (i.e. standing on the tips of your toes, jumping, etc.). Breathing rate can increase as well.

5. Rn around your stage performing steps 2 through 4. (Participating audience members may run in place or in a small circle)

6. Continue running until your heart rate has increased noticeably and/or fatigue has set in.

7. Stop.

8. Cool down by repeating steps 2 and shaking your hand and feet.

Performance Videos

Here are some videos of the performances I'm putting together. They're definitely not complete or fully fleshed out but I like where they are headed - particularly some of the more absurd interactions I'm having with the stage. Much more room for additions and improvements by way of voice and character and purposefully using the multiple tiers of my stage to affect the performance. Everything so far has been relatively silent.