Keep It

Something I would like to keep/develop further is the theme of “failure” that seems to be seeping into our world (i.e. failure of memory, failure of justice, failure of humans, etc.). This, of course, is a big theme to tackle, but I wonder what it would be like to invest more into this idea. My first instinct is to go back to those pieces (about failure) that we’ve made and discuss their commonalities/differences. Though those conversations, we might be able to pinpoint the ideas within topic of “failure” that most interests us. I’m also interested in how this idea of failure can relate to the audience – performer relationship (How do we perform failure in front of people vs authentically fail in font of people?) Maybe then we split up into groups and and make tiny (like one minute) performances? Up until this point, we’ve been creating a lot of “solo” work, but think it might be good to start putting minds together.

We’ve also been creating a lot of “striking” images (like Bailey in the box, or Omar standing in front of harsh light reciting poetry, or Sophia in the elevator, etc). I guess I’d like to continue to explore the way external elements (lights, sound, etc.) help to support our work.

Leave it

This has kind of already been touched on, but I would like to leave behind the “museum” aesthetic. Our presentation never really felt cohesive “piece” to me, which was a little frustrating. I thought the audience was inundated with so many mediums, that they didn’t really know where to look or how to look at things. Instead, it seems as if they gravitated more our “performances” rather than the collection of things in the space.

Want it

Narrative! I’m interested how we can incorporate more narrative into our work. Most of the work we’ve created has been centered around an idea or a story. I would love to talk more about why that is. How can we create narrative solely though text, image, or movement? When can those things be combined to enhance a piece of work? How can those things be juxtaposed and still (somehow) support the content of a piece? What are ways we can turn the concept of narrative on its head?

Memory/Nostalgia

STORY 4: Short Term Memory – John

STORY 2: Easter, 1996 – Gabrielle

STORY 2: A Summer of Sisterhood – Kimmy

STORY ? : (Spy Kids)  – Bailey

JUXTAPOSITIONS: A Star Fell and Nobody Remembered – Kimmy

JUXTAPOSITIONS: Hotels Across The Country – John

SHOW DON’T TELL – Phoebe

SHOW DON’T TELL – Molly

Love

STORY 4: Once in the Highlands – Kimmy

STORY 1: A Kiss for the Heart to Grow – Kimmy

STORY 1: Three Dated and a Wedding – Gabrielle

STORY 4: Us – Paige

STORY 5: The Origin of Love – Molly

JUXTAPOSITIONS: Love Is – Gabrielle

Creation/Universe

STORY 3: Adam & Eve – Molly

STORY ? : Cosmogeny – Sophia

JUXTAPOSITIONS: The End of The World – Molly

SHOW DON’T TELL – Sarah

Magic AND/OR Stars

STORY 5 – Everything Sparkles – Gabrielle

STORY 5 – Like Magic – Phoebe

STORY 4: Short Term Memory – John

Failure

STORY ?: FAILURE: Carina

STORY 2: Adventures in the Osaka Red Light District – Omar

JUXTAPOSITIONS: The Job Hunt of David Carter

JUXTAPOSITIONS: David’s Quarter-Life Crisis/Panic Attack

SHOW DON’T TELL – Carina

2 – 3 Things I’ve Made:

SHOW DON’T TELL: The Black Panther Party

For me, this was the first of my pieces where I felt every element really informed each other, even though the could (technically) all stand on their own. I think that made the piece even more powerful.

STORY3: Don’t Forget Your Mission (Thanks, Yonce)

I like this story, because I feel like an instructional guide 21 year old Kimmy would give to 11 year old Kimmy. It’s also a story about maintaining confidence, which is definitely something I did not have as an 11 year old girl, so something like this would have been helpful.  (i.e. I would have been my own fairy godmother.)

3 – 5 Things Made By Others:

SHOW DON’T TELL – Carina

The struggle in this piece was incredibly fascinating. There was a lot of failure involved which produced a both physical and audible reactions from the class as a audience

• JUXTAPOSITIONS – Enraged Edibles – Omar

The great thing the these performances is that Omar was able to take 2 very basic food items (like a raisin or a corndog) and address real systemic problems in the U.S. At the same time, he made the outlet for which he did that (slam poetry), seem like a farce.

• SHOW DON’T TELL – Bailey 

This piece was the creepiest performance piece I have ever been apart of. The act of 14 disembodied heads looking at each other felt extremely unnatural. Moreover, we were all fed by this almost naked man and told to not hiccup. Everything felt so ritualistic. I LOVED IT! (And also is a  connection to his other 5 Senses piece)

Triptych

1. Audio

2. Performance

3. Visual Object

The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was founded on October 15th, 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Its founding came as a reaction against the social and economic inequality plaguing the lives of black individuals in the U.S. Many African-Americans were still facing health problems, housing problems, and violence from law enforcement officials even after the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s. Knowing this, both Newton and Seale created a new revolutionary organization that “adopted a socialist way of approaching issues within a community,”(PBS, Formation). They began 35 community development projects or “Survival Programs” (like free children’s breakfast, Liberation Schools, etc.), patrolled black neighborhoods as to protect black individuals from police violence, and outlined a Ten-Point Program that aimed to reverse the negative effects of capitalism and economic oppression.

[Huey Newton (right) and  Bobby Seale (left) at Black Panther Party headquarters in San Francisco]

It’s important to note, however, that the Black Panther Party did not really make their way onto the national scene until two major events in 1967. The first came on May 2nd, when twenty-nine armed Panthers disrupted a California State Legislature, protesting the Mulford Act, a gun control bill that would have made “carrying a loaded weapon within city limits a crime” (Jones, “The political repression…”). The Panthers claimed that this bill would interfere with their ability to patrol police in black neighborhoods. (Weapons were only used as a means of protection from retaliation). A few months later, on October 28th, tensions between the law enforcement an the BPs escalated, when a shoot out left a police officer dead and a wounded Huey Newton. Newton was soon charged with first degree murder, which eventually became a rallying point for the BPP.

Over the course of two years, the Panthers’ membership grew to over 2,000, with 32 chapters in 15 states and allies from abroad (Jones, “The political repression…”). This, of course, did not go unnoticed. The FBI, recognizing the group’s use of communist and socialist ideology, declared the Panthers an enemy of the government.  They were eventually considered to be the ‘number one threat to the security of the United States’ (Jones, “The political repression…”). The government even devoted some of COINTELPRO’s resources (the FBI’s Counterintelligence Program) to completely disembowel the organization by 1969. The campaign against the Panthers eventually came to its height during a five hour shoot out at their Southern California headquarters and an Illinois state police raid that left Chicago Panther leader, Fred Hampton, dead.

Works Cited:

“Black Panther Party”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2016 <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party>.

“Formation.” PBS, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. pbs.org/hueypnewton/actions/actions_formation.html

Jones, Charles E. “The political repression of the Black Panther Party 1966-1971: The case of the Oakland Bay area.” Journal of Black Studies 18.4 (1988): 415-434  www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2784371.pdf?acceptTC=true

Photo:

http://diaspora.northwestern.edu/mbin/WebObjects/DiasporaX.woa/wa/displayArticle?atomid=697

SOUND:

SIGHT:

TASTE:

SMELL

TOUCH:

 

3/5 SENSES:

SOUND:

SIGHT & TOUCH:

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Every hundred years,
Brigadoon appears from mist.
Calling for new friends

They roamed through the heather
They learned the town’s secrets together
Still, then, their love was strong

The threat of time loomed large
So they went up against those in charge
Still, then, their love was strong

He committed himself to her
All knew that his love was pure
Still, then, their love was strong

Brigade will now disappear away
He, because of her, had all intention to stay
And even then…will their love will be strong

Mission 1: Get Clean

Make sure you wash your hair and take a shower. Every piece of dirt will be noticeable from a mile away.

Misson 2: Find Your Anthem

Find a song that inspires confidence in you. Make sure it is one you can keep on repeat.

Mission 3: Choose Your Best Outfit

Anything that screams “I HAVE ARRIVED” seems the most appropriate (Search: spaghetti strap tank top with butterfly appliqué.)

Mission 4: Beware of Adults

Your parents may warn you about the “revealing” nature of said tank top. Do not take it personally. They are wrong and harbor jealousy of your fierceness.

Mission 5: Arrive in Style

Walk in to your crushes’ home in style. When in doubt, remember the three C’s: Stay calm, cool, and collected.

Mission 6: Don’t Be Thrown Off By Your Friend Amy

If you see your friend Amy at your crushes’ party, DO NOT be surprised and DO NOT get jealous. She was invited because she’s a cool kid, just like you.

Mission 7: If You Can’t Get His Attention

Play some soft jazz on the piano. IMMEDIATELY

Mission 8: When You Find Yourself on a Rooftop by Yourself After Confronting Your Broken Heart

…do not cry… yet. Only 1 more hour until you get home.

 

A Summer of Sisterhood

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