Projected : A Creative City Project Special Event

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The Projected event was held at the City Beautiful Church (1220 Alden Rd, Orlando, FL 32803). And was a fundraiser for the Creative City Project which shuts down Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando each year to showcase some of the cities most amazing talent.

Six projection artists came together to create an immersive world of light an sound.
Each artist brought a unique, interactive installation that allowed patrons to experience digital art in a whole new way.There was live music and dance presented with responsive light installations which cropped up throughout the evening.

Live performance elements brought the entire evening together for a compelling art experience unlike any other.

I decided to sit on the edge of the stage to look back at the room full of projections. Green and purple lasers cut through the air and a dual wall installation featured alternating stripes of vibrant color. People stood on tip toe to wave their hands through the bright green laser beams. When Pam Schwartz and I first entered, our eyes were not accustomed to the dark. A long hallway lead to the main room, but a line of tables covered with black tablecloths blocked a straight approach to the room. I had to tap the table tops with my hands to figure out what the best way in might be.

We wandered down a hall illuminated by a projection of thousands of moving points of light. Several children crouched at the end of the hall looking back at the beams of light that caused every wall to flicker with moving points of light. Later that night I saw Cole Nesmith in the hall using a red light bar to illuminate couples who posed for photos in the sea of moving points.  

Becky Lane had a room set up that was an installation that was built around the experience of her long commute to Tampa. One whole wall had a projection that showed the Florida landscape flying by shot from the side window of her moving car. Palmetto fronds were scattered throughout the room. And when I glanced in at first I saw people waving the fronds in the air. The space incorporated movement, viewpoints and puppetry to give an interactive feeling for her commute.

Outside that room was a projection that used a sensor to track a persons movements. Pam and I were standing in the area looking at Becky’s installation when we were scolded for disrupting the sensors. Only one person could be in the space at a time. Basically that person could create an image on the screen built up from a series of triangles of varying sizes. By waving their arms triangles would appear. I lost interest.

Nathan Selikoff had a projection that looked like a colorful cloud which people could manipulate by waving their hands over a sensor on a table near the projector. Some people couldn’t figure out how to manipulate the cloud because they always had their hands too close to the sensor. Eventually most people figured out the proper distance to get the digital storm to brew.

On the stage wall behind me a series of movies were projected on the wall. The brightest image was of a cloud formed after an explosion. Dancers took to the stage and improvised. One dancer held a laser and projected the point of bright light on the floor. Dancers would follow the light like a cat. The same dancers later dances behind the dual wall of bright striped colors. Their silhouettes wold break up the wall of color dramatically.

The event was very well attended, and I am sure more people kept arriving as the night progresses. This year The
Creative City Project will present their annual event, IMMERSE, on October 19
and 20, 2018. More than 1,000 artists and performers will bring the heart of
the city of Orlando to life! It is possible to book tickets early.

Orlando Folk Festival

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On Sunday February 9th, I went to the 12th Annual Orlando Folk Festival at The Mennello Museum of American Art 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl. The had rained the previous day so everyone was happy for the sunshine. After talking with Tod Caviness and his wife Christin for a moment, I immediately focused on the kids painting a fence Tom Sawyer style. Of course Tom Sawyer only had white paint while these kids had their pick of the rainbow. Some kids would focus on a small area with laser beam attention to fine detail while others used the brush with bold bravado. I believe this fence is re-used every year and the paint is growing as thick as the continental crust. A volunteer would fill plastic cups with paint and put an artist’s smock on each child. Don’t mock the smock. Parents stood guard to be sure that the paint went on the wall rather than on other children.

The two stages for folk singers were behind me, so I got to relax to their gentle harmonies. People set up blankets and lawn chairs in the shade to listen. A family on a blanket near me had a bunch of kids who were getting antsy. I boy threw a stick that hit me in the back. The mom said, “Say your sorry Bobby.” He remained silent. “He really is sorry” she said. The kids started playing tag and I began to feel I was in the middle of a war zone. One little girl tripped over my art bag. They really weren’t looking where they were going. With the sketch done, I retreated to a quieter neutral zone.

I spotted Emily Empel and her friends and I sat to chat with them for the last set. Emily had been a presenter at Pecha Kucha on the same evening I had presented. It was interesting to hear her take about how the evening went. From my perspective Emily’s presentation had been flawless. But she confided that she had been very nervous that night. I think I had been to committed to what I had written and Emily felt the same. Other presenters memorized their talks while others just knew key points that they wanted to cover. Becky Lane, a speech coach at Full Sail had encouraged me to just have key points but I was already too committed to the exact words I had written. Regardless, looking back at the video, the presentation went pretty well. I’m glad I stepped outside my comfort zone. I need to do that more often.

When the band finished playing I headed home. l bumped into Carl Knickerbocker who had his “Art Car” at the festival. He used large magnetic sheets to cover a car with his bold Suburban folk images. He has a short film in this year’s Florida Film Festival titled “The Last Orange Grove in Middle Florida.” I can’t wait to see it.

Post PechaKucha Blues

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Pecha Kucha, pronounced (petsha  kutcha) means chit chat in Japanese. Eddie Selover organizes Petcha Kucha events here in Orlando. I had sketched several of these events in the past and I decided to do a presentation myself. The evening consists of Power Point presentations by about 9 presenters. The catch is that each Power Point slide is on the screen for only 20 seconds and there is no way for the presenter to pause or talk for too long. 20 slides for 20 seconds results in a concise six minute presentation. The original organizers came up with the format because they realized that if you give some people a microphone they might never stop talking about the first slide.

There were just two rehearsals held at the Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Avenue Orlando FL, in the weeks before the presentations. I simple picked 20 sketches and then wrote copy about my artistic journey since starting the blog. In theory it sounds easy right? WRONG! Being able to time the talk and knowing the slide is about to change any minute is nerve wracking. I have never given a talk in front of 300 people so this was a big step outside my comfort zone. The same week I had to lecture to a room full of students for the first time as well. When it rains it pours. With the writing in hand I felt comfortable but it is hard to slow down and sometimes pause, so there is time for the slide to change. It is much like driving 100 miles an hour down a highway and then having a traffic light every mile. In the first rehearsal I realized that when nervous, I speed ahead and then the slides never have a chance to catch up. Rehearsals were a supportive, safe atmosphere since we were all walking the same tight rope.

The theme for Pecha Kucha V12 was “Love” in honor of Valentines Day so many of the presentations were intensely personal. Going through this experience, I got to learn quit a bit about each of the presenters.  Our presentations got better at each rehearsal. The group as a whole grew stronger as we gave each other suggestions and feedback.  Becky Lane who teaches public speaking at Full Sail, actually took the time to coach me and give me pointers right before the last rehearsal. Based on her suggestions, I removed titles from each slide and instead added a sentence about the person or place pictured. I was writing these notes on the script only minutes before doing my rehearsal run through. I tripped up on a couple of notes that literally made no sense.

On presentation day, February 7th, I rehearsed in my studio all day till the timing clicked into place. I kept adding words or deleting them till the flow was just right. I felt confident but nervous. I had to get to the Orange Studio two hours before show time. I  ran out of the studio and drove several miles in the rain before I realized that I forgot my script which was sitting on the desk at home! I quickly did a 180 in a panic. David Russell of Sac Comedy Lab had us do warm up exercises. We stood in a circle and threw Zip, Zaps, and Zoops at each other. It was a good way to get us to bind together and laugh.

I was the eighth presenter being sandwiched between Carolyn Moor and Kristen Manieri. Each of us got up to the mic for a sound check before the audience arrived. There was a computer monitor about three rows back in the center isle that would show the slides. My voice echoed and bounced around the room. Before me was a sea of white empty folding chairs. Since it was raining, I hoped no one would show. We had to be sure to stay right on top of the mic. I adjusted the mic and it slipped free of the stand and crashed to the floor with a loud thud. Well, that is what rehearsal is for. It better not happen again. One more thing to worry about.

The event was sold out. 300 people crowded into the folding chairs. Emily Empel gave an inspiring talk about how Orlando needs to find a quirky, creative and inspired future. Max Jackson talked about love and the human brain. He spoke with a machine gun fast delivery offering so much information that it was almost hard to keep up. He had memorized his entire talk. It was impressive and daunting. I was strictly “on book.” I had to read what I had written on 8 1/2 by 11 sheets that were stapled in the corner. Being visual, I needed to see each sketch beside my words. Carolyn delivered an incredibly honest and emotional roller coaster with her story of love, loss and strength found in supporting others. I had to wipe away tears, and I heard Kristen equally moved beside me. In the end, her story was uplifting and showed how people become stronger when they care about each other. It was a hero’s journey.

I was still choked up when I stepped up to the mic. “I love to draw,” I began. I started off on a good footing but after several slides, I glanced up at the monitor and instead saw a young woman  three rows back who looked a bit like Caroline, but with jet black hair and straight bangs. I realized after a moment that it was Carolyn’s daughter. I wondered what she thought of her mom’s presentation. As these thoughts rattled through my head, I flipped forward in the script by mistake. I was not in the moment. I improvised a bit as I re-found my spot. I was getting close to panic mode. I might crash and burn. Then I spotted a woman seated in front of Carolyn’s daughter. She smiled at me reassuringly. That smile saved me. Everyone seated in the room wanted me to present this material well. Back on track, I delivered the rest of the talk with confidence.

Kristen Maneri’s presentation seemed flawless. She had so much on the line letting the crowd know how she and her husband saved their sex lives by marking Tuesdays and Saturdays on the calender for evenings of intimacy. Her advice to also schedule romantic date nights to nice restaurants is being worked into my own calendar. My wife Terry wasn’t able to go to the presentation. She was seeing a client down in Miami. She did see a rehearsal and on that evening I finished the talk with, “I couldn’t do what I do without the love and support of my wife Terry.” It is very true. But, partly because of the lost time in my stumble, I left the final line off.

I have never stood in the front of a room full of people clapping. That kind of validation is usually for the performers I sketch. When I stood in line with all the presenters, for the final bow, I felt so proud and happy. It was a euphoric feeling. Then, as the crowd dispersed, people kept coming up to shake my hand and tell me about creative projects that might interest me. Caley Burke spoke about a NASA Tweetup event I should document, Roger Gregor told me about a children’s book he wrote that needs an illustrator, Carynn Jackson offered an opportunity to document the Winter Park Paint out. I had put business cards and posters on a table and only a few cards were left behind. Emily told me that her goal, in being a presenter was to find one new friend. That thought made me happy. That should be my goal anytime I try something new.

The first two rows were full of friends and family of Carolyn’s. They enveloped her in loving support. Kristen’s husband held her close. I suddenly felt alone. Swami World Traveler asked where Terry was. When I told him, he said, “That’s kind of ironic considering the evening’s theme.”  He suggested I join him and a friend at a new restaurant a few blocks away on Virginia. I needed to go out and sketch to clear my buzzing head. My calender showed an event by Kitchy Kittens at the Caboose in Ivanhoe Village. It was drizzling as I drove over to look. The Caboose is a real smoke filled dive bar and nothing was happening inside so I decided instead to go to Washburn Imports, 1800 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL. In the back of the huge antiques shop is a bar called “The Imperial“. I ordered a raspberry flavored beer and sat at a round table with two other men who didn’t mind me joining them.

They talked about the one in a million chance that a friend of theirs had found the perfect girl. I felt hollow as I sketched. This sketch outing was a self inflicted exile. The road less traveled. I identified with the guy standing in the middle of the room, sipping his beer and wanting some human connection while I hoped for some sketchable drama.

The two guys at my table left and they were replaced with a birthday party of three couples. The birthday girl wanted to see what I was up to and she complimented the sketch. One guy said to me, “Hey, I recognize your sketches, I’ve seen them online. Great work.” We introduced ourselves and then he returned to the ongoing conversations and I returned to the sketch. Is this what my life would be like, quick exchanges with people who know OF me, but who aren’t really friends? Working alone in a crowd usually doesn’t bother me. But I had just rubbed shoulders with some of the most brave, honest and inspiring people I have ever met in Orlando. This is what actors must feel like every time a show ends. When I got ready to leave the Imperial, I used the men’s room. When I came out, I noticed a couple kissing passionately on an antique couch removed from all the bustle near the bar. That could be such a good sketch, I thought, but no, I have my sketch already and I have to work in the morning.” When I got home, I couldn’t sleep.

Words As Silent Tattoos

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On December 12, I went to a rehearsal of “The Words We Wear” at the Goldman Theater in the Orlando Shakespeare Center. The theater space was pitch black when I entered. I stood behind the back row waiting for my eyes to adjust. The directors Aradhana Tiwari and Kevin Becker greeted me warmly. The Goldman is a small intimate space so I decided to sit house left near the back.

Actress Mikki Scanlon Kriekard was getting into military fatigues to perform a monologue Aradhana had written. The director asked all the other actors to clear the space. This was the first time Mikki was performing the monologue and the director didn’t want any distractions. I kept sketching and thankfully Mikki and Aradhana didn’t consider me a distraction.

It had been 192 days since the soldier had spoken. She had been stationed in Afghanistan and things had happened over their that would get under anyone’s skin. When she returned, people seemed like a sea of pages walking the streets. She felt she had been stained by silent tattoos. She came close to relating the horrors that she had seen, but she stopped short. Then she met a young girl that could read her like an open book, seeing the scars and invisible tattoos. The girl gave Mikki a slip of paper laced with hope and redemption. The room was silent and full of emotion. I didn’t know why but my face flushed and in the darkness hot tears roll down my cheeks. No one could see. Mikki, as a brave soldier managed to keep her emotions in check but when
she related how thankful she was, her throat constricted and she had to
slow down to keep from crying, for the first time she felt hope.

After the performance, there were notes from the director. I wiped my eyes and kept sketching. I began to wonder why I had been emotionally bowled over by the performance. A friend had a way of reading people and was able to heal others with a touch. She had a deep, heart felt faith. Yet she wasn’t able to heal her own invisible scars left by life.  Her boyfriend, an artist, that she had just broken up with, drove to the Grand Tetons, did a few paintings and then shot himself. I only saw her once after her boyfriends funeral. She asked me to pray for her. I didn’t pray. Several weeks later, she took her own life.  I realized that I hadn’t cried at her funeral or since. What kind of person doesn’t cry at a funeral? Instead of feeling anything, I sketched like a machine. At the time I was annoyed that the focus at the memorial service was on resurrection rather than on the suicide. The word wasn’t uttered once. She wasn’t rising from the grave. Due to red tape her body had yet to be cremated. I hadn’t seen it coming. The one word on my mind remains WHY? How could someone with so much faith take their own life? Did she find the enveloping love of God that she hoped for? I wish I could believe that. Her suicide note absolved everyone from guilt, but guilt remains. I could have been a better friend. This performance finally made all the suppressed emotions bubble up to the surface.  There is so much to live for. The sun burns bright. What choice remains, but to hope?

The second part of the rehearsal involved the whole cast removing white fabric with negative words and then picking up fabrics from the clothes line with positive words. Some actresses removed scarves, shackles, belts and blindfolds. One fiery redhead looked like Jackie Onassis with big sunglasses and the head shawl that she threw away. In one run through, Becky Lane removed her negative garment and when she picked her life affirming clothes line fabric, she smiled and daintily nestled it in her cleavage with a silent film Chaplinesque flair as she walked off stage. I was thankful for the laugh.

“The Words We Wear” will be playing tonight at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM. (The Sunday performance is sold out.)

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.

Words We Wear

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I bumped into Becky Lane in the Full Sail parking lot and she told me about a show she is working on called Words We Wear. Kevin Barber and Aradhana Tiwari are co-directing and Holly Harris is in charge of choreography. Becky invited me to a rehearsal at Movement Arts Studios.

Words We Wear is a 60 minute original performance piece that includes dance, acting, and mixed media. There is an ensemble of 20 female performers.

The show itself is relatively secular. It is about exchanging negative words for more positive words, but the final call to action is faith based. An organization called Epic Vita contracted Becky and the rest of the creative team and heavily influenced the content of this show. They focus on Christian Women’s Ministry.

At the rehearsal, blue tape marked a grid on the floor. The female cast were walking aggressively as if on the streets of a big city. They wove together in a tight knit pattern. If a performer got in the way then the dancer would stop, turn at a right angle and move in another direction. At one point rows of dancers had to move past one another and the squeeze was so tight they bumped shoulders. A fraction of an inch adjusted the movement and the bumping stopped.

The next sequence rehearsed involved movements related to exercise. They wanted to have a quick beat to the movements and Becky demonstrated an accelerated yoga routine where she did sun salutations and downward facing dog to a quick eight beat. The effect was both funny and awe inspiring. Aradhana chimed in, “These moves will be simplified, you can all thank me later.” Everyone applauded Becky’s performance, thankful they wouldn’t have to repeat it.

As I was finishing my sketch, the women rehearsed a routine involving the drudgery of sorting laundry. The baskets of clothes became part of a delicate angst filled dance. Performers experimented and improvised slowly allowing the routine to find it’s own form. This is what I love about sketching rehearsals, there is an open sense of childlike play that brings a piece to life.

Aradhana explained that the show was built around a quote from Maya Angelou. Aradhana explained that certain events in her own life have made the shows theme particularly relevant at this time in her life. Maya said, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, ““Someday we will be able to measure the power of
words. I think they are things. I think they get on the walls, they get
in your wallpaper, they get in your rugs, in your upholstery, in your
clothes and finally into you.”

The show will be playing at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM.

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.

Shadow Play

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On September third, I went to Movement Arts Studio (1602 Philadelphia Ave, Orlando FL) to watch a rehearsal of a dance piece by Holly Harris. The two performers were Rebekah Lane and Ariel Clarke. Becky has an acting/puppetry background and Ariel is a contemporary dancer and instructor at Focus Performing Arts Center in Lake Mary. Both are representing Canvas Creative Movement Coalition at The Shift Unity in Motion.

Holly explained the premise behind the creative movement and dance piece. “A year ago I read through some silly fables from a
book called, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day. A three-line
poem in that book stood out to me called The Shadow.”

‘Once there was a man was was afraid of his shadow.

Then he met it.

Now he glows in the dark.’

“When Larissa asked me to present an
experimental movement piece for The Shift, I immediately went to my idea
board to find this poem. I thought I could lead an audience on an
imaginative journey of sight, sound, and feeling through the art of
creative movement. In the beginning of the duet, you see Becky reading
and as she yawns she suddenly takes notice of her shadow for the very
first time. She is connecting the black mass that is seen on the stage
floor with the light coming from the lamp and it confuses and frightens
her. One minute into the piece, her shadow is personified by another
dancer, who at first alarms her but then reveals that she is simply an
abstract continuation of her body and mind as they move in sync
together. As the piece continues to develop, the shadow guides Becky
into exploring the mysteries of the world that often go by unnoticed
like a solitary shadow.”

This rehearsal space is inside a huge warehouse with tapestries and gilded mirrors on the walls. Large blue fabric was draped elegantly over the long dancer’s mirror. The rehearsal involved Becky and Ariel developing the first three minutes of the piece.One particularly memorable moment involved Becky walking in a wide arc ad Becky as her shadow matched her steps as she rotated on her hips on the floor. Movement was developed in a playful collaboration. Holly watched the dancers shadows to be sure everything worked.

Mark Your Calendar!  The Shift which involved pieces developed by six dance companies will be September 13th and 14th in the Goldman Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins Street Orlando FL) at 8pm. Tickets at the door are $20.

Auditions

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Beth Marshall Presents held auditions for the 2013-2014 season at the Garden Theater in Winter Garden on Saturday June 22nd. Productions she was holding audition for included…

The 2013 Play-in-a-Day 2013 Season kickoff in partnership with Lake Howell High School and Penguin Point Productions September 7th.

Alice Lost in Wonderland (a world premiere) written by Rob Winn Anderson and Beth Marshall, October 18-November 3 at the Garden Theater.

Beatnik, a multi-media art evening of poetry music and dance in collaboration with VarieTEASE. December 3rd at the Venue.

33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, directed by Aradhana Tiwari, March 13-30 at the Garden Theater.

Touring shows include,

Commencement written by Clay McCleod Chapman, directed by Brenna Nicely, Starring Beth Marshall at Fringe, or  The Venue.

The Books, written by Michael Edison Haydon, directed by Beth Marshall for Fringe or The Venue.

Actors gathered in the lobby of the theater and they entered the theater in groups of four or five. Actors read monologues and occasionally sang. I sketched actress Becky Lane since I knew her from some incredible performances in the past. Some actors read beat poetry but it just didn’t have the swaggering flow of 50’s beat angst.

That changed when writer, Tod Caviness and his new bride, dancer, Christin Caviness took to the stage. He recited a poem completely off book with the furious confidence of a generation reaching for a new understanding of what it is to live. Christin danced with sweaty abandon rising and receding with the tide of the poem. Garments were tossed aside as needless encumbrances to the need to move. I was swept along enthralled. I stood and applauded. This could be the corner stone for an amazing evening of Beat madness. What an incredible collaboration, a true marriage of two art forms.

A thunderstorm sent loud rain hammering down on the theater’s metal
roof. Beth considered it good since it would force actors to project. As
one actor was on stage giving a monologue, the lights of the theater
went black. The huge empty theater went silent. In the darkness he muttered, “Well I guess that’s a sign
that I didn’t get the part.”

39 Steps Rehearsal

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Back in January at a Florida Creative’s happy hour, I first found out that Ryan Price was planning to produce a Fringe play built around “The 39 Steps” a 1915  adventure novel written by John Buchan. It was later adopted by Alfred Hitchcock in a 1935 film. Becky Lane is directing this adaptation in which every show will be improvised based on audience suggestions. In early rehearsals Becky told me that the cast did view point sessions in which the actors walked an imaginary grid and worked as a group becoming a cohesive cast.

This Invisible Frisbee Productions rehearsal was held in a Winter Garden warehouse just two days before Fringe opened. A huge ventilation fan moved the humid air. A tarp was put on the floor because in one scene there is a murder and they didn’t want the corpse to have to lie in saw dust or metal filings. In this rehearsal the cast of four went over the introduction and the sequence of events that were needed to get the audience feedback. Since I was essentially an audience of one, Becky had me fill out eight chalkboards with answers to two questions. One question was to write down a job of someone in my party that was suspicious. I’ve found people to be suspicious of artists so that was my first answer, the others that I recall were a teacher and mailman. The other question involved picking a character trait of someone in your party that they are proud of and then write down the opposite. I recall writing excitable, angry and sloth. Those chalk boards were hung on the front of the boxes and helped defined the backgrounds and personalities the characters.

My other responsibility was to hand out playing cards that each character picked to choose their roll in the comedic drama. Max Hilend, the wild card, was hilarious as a lazy sloth of an artist. He spoke slowly with little to no enthusiasm. He discussed the one painting he does a year, and even the cast was laughing, and peaking at the words that defined his character. Nadia Garzon with a red rose in her hair was funny and entertaining as a high strung excitable art teacher. I decided she had to be the lead character, Hannay, based on her hilarious performance. Megan Borkes was a disgruntled spy and in a scene with Nadia, the two played off each other wonderfully. The villain was the black bearded Christian Cheker in his black shirt and military cargo pants. To me these roles seemed predestined. It is exciting watching the scenes unfold with the even actors not knowing what would come next.

The sets were defined with the boxes rearranged in each scene as chairs as well as a table, ladder and a window on a tripod. Nadia stayed in character as Hannay and had me laughing consistently with her innocent enthusiasm and endless curiosity. I glanced over to see the director, Becky, laughing out loud as well. It was such a delight to know that this performance was unique and as an audience member, I helped mold the performances. As Hannay was entertaining the spy in her home, Max opened the window and blew a dart into the spy’s neck. That sudden murder changed Hannay’s fate, forcing her to follow through on the spy’s mission, now being accused of murder, and on the run from police and the villain who was easily identifiable because of a unique, sometimes rude feature picked by the audience.

The cast took me on an amazing playful ride while asking me to suspend disbelief and fill in what was needed with my imagination. Be sure to check out this show at Fringe, your experience will be new and completely unique. It is theater in its truest form with murder, intrigue and plenty of laughs and unexpected turns.

Where: The Pink Venue

Tickets: $11 along with your Fringe button.

When:

Thursday May 16, 2013 at 6:00PM

Saturday May 18, 2013 at 6:45PM

Sunday May 19, 2013 at 11:15AM

Tuesday May 21, 2013 at 11:15PM

Wednesday May 22, 2013 at 9:30PM

Saturday May 25, 2013 at 4:30PM

Sunday May 26, 2013 at 2:45PM

Interactive Puppetry

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At the opening of the Handmade Puppet Dreams exhibit at City Arts Factory, Heather Henson, the founder of Ibex Puppet Company, had just opened a present from a friend.
She held a sleek sculpture of a deer or ram or maybe it was an ibex. All the colorful tissue paper was on the floor, and a light breeze from someone passing by caused a sheet to move, begging me to play. I was reminded of a an interactive art performance by actress and puppeteer, Rebekah Lane, on October 16th as part of the Creative City Project. She staged her performances four times at different locations around Lake Eola. When I arrived she was stuffing colorful tissue paper into brightly colored shopping bags. She explained to me that the idea for the performance came about after she attended a recent puppetry workshop. She learned about the work of Albrecht Roser. She explained that there are two ways to approach a story. First you can write a story and then find the materials with which to tell the story. The other approach is to let the materials influence and mold the story.

I was excited at the prospect of a performance in public catching people by surprise. A small foot ladder held a wicker rattle, an iHome stereo player and some thin green wire strands.  The puppet show banner hung from a flaccid length of PVC. She eventually found an existing sign near her staging area to support the banner. She turned on the stereo, playing some Felliniesque music and she approached passers by to try and drum up an audience. First three then five people gathered. Her performance was in mime. She offered the five people the shopping bags with delight in her eyes. They riffled inside the bags looking for what she was offering. All the colorful tissue paper was in the way. Then she extracted a bright blue tissue from a bag. Playfully, she crumpled the tissue into a long worm-like shape. She crouched down and had the tissue crawl about in the grass and then look around quizzically. Others played along. Soon there was a procession of caterpillars in the grass.

They moved to the ladder where a tissue paper cocoon was built and suspended with the silky wire strands. The caterpillars went inside and later emerged. Rebekah took the newly emerged tissue and she lifted it up into the breeze. It floated and danced in the wind. Every one’s tissues flew up in the air like graduation caps hesitant to return to any head. People ran after their creatures before they could be blown into the lake. Rebekah then folded her tissue, creating wings and her hand acted as the body and legs of a butterfly. A little girl was delighted when the butterfly landed on her head. There was an innocent Gelsomina joy in this performance that playfully asked people to imagine life in the colorful, and inanimate, while offering them the luxury of play. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that life isn’t all about meetings and schedules.