T.B.A. First Weekend

Wow, I am exhausted...I kinda went crazy over the weekend running from performance to performance. I nearly got in several car accidents and almost hit some people. My boyfriend doesn't want to ride in the car with me anymore...What?! I'm not THAT bad! Some people...
Anywho.

I am so pleased with everything I have seen. Some really inspiring performance art. There has not been one performance where I walked away and thought, wow that was crap!

Here is a list of what I've seen (and if you didn't see it...sucks to be you!)

Suicide Kings: So so so amazing. These guys are really talented slam poets and have created seamless piece of theater. They took their slam poetry and crafted a "what if" scenario based on the work they do in schools: they travel from classroom to classroom teaching a writing workshop. The work they do and the performance they put together was really inspiring. I got chills, laughed and even cried. Fabulous.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph: beautiful beautiful story-telling. I really liked learning about his life and his personal perspective. This work was a work in progress, but you could obviously tell he was a talented artists; he could dance, beat-box, and engage the audience. What a gift!

Taylor Mac: Hilarious. Beautiful. Heartfelt. His monster drag cabaret show was a "best of" of his other acts. He had a way of making us laugh our asses off and then quickly turning the moment serious. It's his eyes. Even through his latex blue face and his sequin eye make-up, you could see deep down into his soul. I wanted to hug and kiss him and immediately make him my new best friend.

Reggie Watts: He kept us all entertained with his fabulous beat-box songs, including my favorite, "fuck shit stack". Reggie is taking the piss-the American way with his improvised song, dance and performance show Disinformation.

Charlotte Vanden Eynde & Kurt Vandendriessche: Naked Belgians! Map me, get it? Explore our bodies using different mediums, (mainly film). Interesting. The best part about it was when they covered their heads in plastic bags and duck-tape and explored each other while blind. Beautifully intimate. I don't know why but the image of them with their heads ducked taped together reminded me of the torture at Abu Ghraib. No picture necessary but check out their promotional picture...See what I mean?
But, I do not feel like they were trying to reference this event or torture at all. It just the way my mind works. I feel like it really was more about cutting off the other senses and just exploring each other with touch.

Donna Uchizono Company: I loved the first piece. The sets, the lighting, the sound, and especially the choreography was A-maz-ing. I don't see a lot of dance, but I was mesmerized by this performance. Perfect from beginning to end.



More to come about TBA...and I apologize if my thoughts don't seem fully formed...I'm tired. This art is soo stimulating!!