Thursday, November 12, 2020
At On the Boards, a play in which you and a stranger meet satisfies a pandemic-specific thirst for fresh intimacy
The Seattle Times: A plain wood table, with two wood chairs, stands on an otherwise bare stage in an empty theater. The only sound is the low thunder of the HVAC system. In the middle of the table, a plexiglass divider. At the bottom of the divider, a slot cut for a stack of notecards within easy reach from either side of the table. On each card, an arrow points to either person A or person B, indicating who should draw next.
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3 comments:
I think theatrical experiments like this that turn the audience into the performers could be so deeply powerful. This reminds me of Marina Abramovic's "The Artist is Present", which I haven't stopped thinking about since I first learned about it. The whole concept of it is based on yearning for intimacy and connection. Many people who sat and made eye contact with Abramovic broke down crying. It also reminds me of that selection of questions that are supposed to make you fall in love with someone. I think this is not only such an interesting piece of theater, but could also be an interesting study. It would be interesting to see who connects better, how different people react to the encounter, and if the phone call vs. in-person confrontation is more comfortable for people. Finally, I think the idea of it being three parts is also so interesting, because I've seen classically set up plays in multiple parts, but never as an instance of performance art.
This is an interesting concept, particularly with the idea of the three phases. This is one of the first pandemic pieces that I’ve actually enjoyed reading about, and in trying to figure out why that is, I think it’s because the piece wouldn’t have the same level of meaning pre-covid that it does now. Everyone is a little starved for interaction with others right now (or should be, if we’re following the rules, and isn’t it awful that the pandemic means that so many need to make the sacrifices of their personal happiness in the name of public health) and more willing to be deeply affected by a set of interactions like this. It also seems like the environment is very important to this project, with the first phase over the phone and the second in an empty theater - pre-covid, would we have considered putting two audience members alone on a stage with no audience to be a performance, and would it be seen as financially viable? I liked this project and how the line between artist and audience seems to really blur.
My favorite line from this article was “there’s no such thing as small talk.” It made me stop for a second and really think about it. What is small talk and why do I hate it? I’m someone who gets really nervous meeting strangers especially during the first couple conversations. It’s weird that you make a first impression and people form an opinion on you. As much as this is out of my comfort zone and seems like something I would dread, I think I would want to be an audience member and participant of this three part performance. It definitely makes a statement about human connection especially in a time where many people feel alone. I can’t wait until part three is released. I’m even more excited that it’s supposed to be after the pandemic when we can all be together. It’s good to know that people have hope and there’s another thing to look forward to.
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