Solo Performance – Newton-Bennett, A.

After a productive (and restful) Easter break, I’ve made some good progress with the making of my Solo Performance. The first thing I wanted to was to narrow down the images I wanted to be focal in my performance. These images can be seen below:

This image of George W Bush comes from an interview where he discussed the ‘New World Order’. This is a large focus of my performance, as I wanted to use people in power to make the claims that my characters makes seem somewhat plausible, before going into a descent into madness. Online conspiracy details that it is believed the Illuminati go as high as the White House and the House of Lords, so references to those in political power will be made throughout my performance.

The second key image throughout my performance is the triangle imagery that comes with the New World Order. This will be discussed at length in a ‘recruitment’ style, to make the conspiracy seem soothing and inviting, despite the negative connotations and press it receives.

Illuminati symbolism is something that I am particularly interested in using, as it can be misunderstood for the Masonic imagery. Because of its commonplace appearance, it is often thought that everyday images and poses done by celebrities and those in power and Illuminati images, birthing further conspiracy.

To merge the key images I wanted together into one collective show-section, I placed a soundscape under the images and the video of George W Bush, to which I would deliver the opening monologue (found in the previous post). The timings will need to be changed as a means of making the moments ‘pop’ that I want to, but I’m happy with the direction my piece is taking so far!

Moving forward, I want to do and look into the following things:

1) How Focus Group by TOOT Theatre Company can influence my piece

2) Decide whether I want to keep this tone throughout, or have a drastic shift in tone that I originally planned

 

Focus Group was brought to my attention in the most recent seminar, which can be seen below. The corporate tone of the piece would be perfect for my Solo performance, with the use of lighting and voice being particularly prevalent. A dim-lighting with it shining on the performance would make the performance seem almost interrogative, which could be ideal for the recruitment tone I wish to write.

 

WANT: To continue scriptwriting and use the influence of Focus Group and the images I have compiled together to form a recruitment style performance, with some intentionally comedic tones and some unintentional comedic tones.

LEARNT: 1) About Focus Group and how lighting and tone of voice can impact the performance

2) How image, sound and voice can compile together in one individual block.

EXPERIENCE: Overall, my experience with the writing of this work has been rewarding. I think I know the direction I want to take, it’s just a case of narrowing down the ideas in my head and moving forward with the script writing!

 

Works Cited

TOOT Theatre (2016) Focus Group. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg4Ynowu1Hc [Accessed 10th April 2018]

To begin the performance-making process, I thought it would be a good idea to find performance materials and ideas to get started. One performance which I’d seen at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre last year was entitled MK Ultra (2017). MK Ultra was a dance-style performance which detailed the MK Ultra, a significant part of the Illuminati and their involvement in pop culture. The imagery in the performance, particularly their use of geometric triangular shapes to create an almost acid-trip style to the show was particularly influential.

Whilst my performance won’t include dancing (I highly doubt ANY audience wants to see a fully grown man dancing like a dying walrus), I feel that the style of the performance would work for my proposed two minute introduction script. To start the introduction, I had to decide upon the images I wanted, as well as the style/delivery of the section. In light of my influence from MK Ultra, I looked to popular culture to find this imagery.

 

Above is the mood board I created, with the images I want to use at the start of my piece. In terms of style, I really wanted to go for an eerie beginning, with my voice recorder (with a filter on it) playing on top of the video. The first half of my provisional script writing for this section goes as follows:

 

V/O In 1776, the Bavarian Order of the Illuminati formed. They were a secret society that operated only for a decade, but their ideology and legacy still continues to this day. There were originally only nine members, with one sole intention – to take over the world.

 

The Illuminati used symbols, adopted pseudonyms to avoid identification and had complicated hierarchies. Their anti-clerical and anti-royal ideology placed them firmly against the grain of their society. Conservatives within society saw this as an immediate threat to their society and hence, the Illuminati were disbanded and the act of recruitment for secret societies was criminalised in 43 different countries.

 

But what is their relevance today? Well, just like any legacy, their ideology never died. Whilst the ORIGINAL Illuminati strived to take over the world with their political ideology, the modern day facet appears to have a different agenda. From the 1970s’ to the present day, the new Illuminati, branded the ‘New World Order’, are thought to be embodied throughout popular culture.

 

It is believed that the modern day Illuminati have the intention to create one dominant totalitarian state across the globe – to be known as the New World Order. In fact, in a recent poll done across Europe, over 28% of people believe that there is a possibility of a New World Order. Some even believe that influence of the Illuminati goes as high as the White House and the Houses of Lord. George Bush once made a rather eerie reference to the order in one of his interviews when he was in office.

(Insert George Bush Clip)

But it’s not just those in political power that have power in this New World Order. Pat Robertson argues that the Illuminati have recruited a variety of different people into the group, all to aid the domination of the New World Order under one key ruler – Baphomet. Baphomet parallels the Christian depictions of Satan, being a fallen angel who [TO CO CONTINUED].

 

WANT: To continue writing the opening script and to make a multimedia element for my performance.

LEARNT: More about the Illuminati group themselves, as well as the tone I want for the opening of my piece in light of MK Ultra and the imagery I’ve found.

EXPERIENCE: Overall, my experience writing the beginning of my script has been positive. I believe I know which direction I want to continue and will work at finding a way to juxtapose the beginning section of my script with the humorous tone I want for the majority.

 

Works Cited

Kay, R. (2016) MK Ultra. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB7bBtl1zWM [Accessed 23rd March 2018].

 

 

 

Two of the practitioners we studied this week were Shia LaBeouf (yes, the guy from Even Stevens) and Whoopi Goldberg (yes, she played a nun that one time). The thing that intrigued me the most with these two artists was:

1) How different their work was when compared to one another

2) Their backgrounds and how they got into making performance/performance art

Goldberg, in the early stages of her career, created the stand-up character Fontaine. The key focus of her work as Fontaine was to “teach the audience a major aspect of black arts” (Breward, 2013, 96). Goldberg, akin to Tim Miller who I had previously researched, presents issues and stereotypes placed upon an ‘Othered’ community. Fontaine is an embodiment of cultural stereotypes placed upon black women – it is notable that she has a PhD, which contradicts the opinion that an ‘African-American pimp” (Breward, 2013, 96) cannot be educated and have a cultural opinion.

LaBeouf, as opposed to Goldberg, is more about creating his image as a performance artist rather than making a socio-political statement/reiteration. Taking inspiration from Marina Abramovic’s Rhythm 0, he placed a bag above his head and sat at a desk waiting for people to bring apparatus in with them. Unlike the roaring critical feedback Goldberg achieved with her Fontaine character, LaBeouf was labelled a ‘fraud’ and accused of creating a performance that “stinks of bad art” (Jones, 2014).

It is interesting, therefore, how perceptions of the media are influenced by their background. Goldberg went from Broadway performances to a shining Hollywood career. In opposition to this, LaBeouf went from the fresh-faced and lovable character he played in Even Stevens to a performance artist. The conclusion I took from the way in which the media have treated LaBeouf’s attempts to create performance art is that involvement in Hollywood creates a background and symbol for an individual, one which can therefore not be broken once formed. This ‘symbol’ can be related to other individuals within the media – Beyoncé is labelled as a pro-feminism individual, whether as Piers Morgan is viewed as the antithesis of this. If either of these individuals were to go against their archetype, it is seen as problematic. LaBeouf, in trying to create a seemingly artistic work based upon Abramovic’, is ridiculed for his attempt.

 

Ridicule and speculative behaviour are not uncommon amongst celebrities and this is something that influenced me to research Illuminati speculation in pop culture. Within the conspiracy, celebrities who have created an archetype of being a ‘superstar’ are trivialised by the media as being part of the Illuminati group.

Analysing the two practitioners, as well as my own interest in the portrayal of pop-culture phenomenon’s, has influenced the direction in which I feel I will take my work. Rather than present the conspiracy theory as something to be feared, I feel it would be of better comedic-value to poke fun at the ridiculous nature of some of the claims.
WANT: To beginning writing my opening section. Based upon the works of the two practitioners, as well as my previous blog post, I know I want to use projection/screen in some way to poke fun at representations of Illuminati conspiracy in pop culture. To do this, I will create a suitable mood board for the images and then work on writing a comedic piece to juxtapose seemingly dark images.

LEARNT: 1) Hollywood places a stigma on celebrities breaching their given archetype

2) The use of archetypes in performance could be an effective way of creating comedy

3) Wider issues can be discussed through the lens of a comedic performance – a la Goldberg using Fontaine to discuss stereotyping of POC.

EXPERIENCE: I was surprised to find such merit in the work of LaBeouf, as I had previously labelled him in the same vein that the media had. However, closer inspection of the work highlighted a somewhat educated manner to his performance, using the basis of experienced practitioners to create a topical performance. Certainly a pleasant surprise. My experience with this work has inspired me to further research my topic, as well as hone in the tone I want for my solo piece.

 

Works Cited

Breward, L. (2013) Whoopi Goldberg on Stage and Screen. North Carolina: MacFarland & Co.

Jones, J. (2014) Shia LaBeouf’s #IAmSorry: art is often violent, but nothing can excuse rape. The Guardian. Accessible at ttps://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/dec/01/alleged-rape-of-shia-labeouf-is-inexcusable-but-so-is-bad-art [Accessed 9th March 2014]

 

From the 26th February, we had a Reading Week dedicated to further researching and writing our projects dependent on our module choices. For Solo Performance, my key focus was to enrich my performance material and to research into Tim Miller’s performance style for influence.

 

Tim Miller is a performance artist who has been active for 35 years. As a gay man, LGBT+ rights are at the forefront of his solo performances. Miller, like Karen Finley who’s performance style I have analysed previously, uses grotesque and often controversial language to make more of an impact upon the audience. The purpose of this language is to evoke a reaction – to stir the audiences thought process about the issues he is discussing. Three of his most notable works, being The Queer Body (1992), Glory Box (1999) and Lay of the Land (2009) discuss his personal experiences being part of the LGBT+ community, whilst reiterating personal issues he has faced.

 

The similarity between Miller and Finley is the use of personal story to make commentary on an oppressed group. Finley takes focus on women’s rights and emancipation, whether as Miller discusses LGBT+ equality and oppression. Using their own lives, they tackle wider issues, hence removing elements of narcissism and instead creates a tone of ‘open-mindedness’, per se.

 

Overall, I found that Millers work could be used in my own solo performance in the following ways:

1) It has influenced my opinion on how to use autobiographical stories to discuss wider issues and topics

2) He has demonstrated ways to use the body as a means of storytelling

3) Imagery, particularly patriotic and proud imagery through the use of flags, showed how items with certain connotations can evoke different reactions when juxtaposed together.

4) Language must be carefully selected dependent on my intention.

 

To start further research into my Solo Performance idea, I took to YouTube to discover the extent to which the Illuminati face scrutiny and backlash, potentially unwarrantedly. In a video by The Richest, I discovered a video entitled ‘The Illuminati in Pop Culture’ which is attached below.

 

One of the more ridiculous claims in the video is that the Illuminati ‘use big events, such as the Superbowl or Golden Globes, to summon the Devil in front of millions of spectators’. Events such as the Superbowl and Golden Globe are done as a celebration of sport and theatrical excellence in the US, yet the conspiracy surrounding them and their links to the Illuminati. It seems that there is support for this theory within the media, with a recent article in The Guardian entitled ‘Does the Illuminati control the world? Maybe it’s not such a mad idea’ by Julian Baggini.

Influential performers such as the likes of Beyoncé are not immune to trivialisation to Illuminati claims. In fact, they are heavily speculated to have garnered their success through some form of secretive pact. My intention with the performance is not to evoke conspiracy amongst my audience, but to poke fun at the rather ridiculous claims against members of the celebrity circle.

 

Through the use of projection, my aim is ultimately to show the images indicative of the Illuminati and to create a solemn tone at the beginning of the piece. Moving through, I intend to create a humorous tone to the performance, poking fun at them.

 

WANT: To find more imagery to do with the Illuminati, as well as find more of the roots behind its conception. This will involve researching into The Enlightenment, which will likely take me back to before the French Revolution. Through this, I will have a grounds to poke fun at the claims made in the media and by conspiracy theorists, as I will have more of a grounded idea of the fundamental ideology behind the conception of the group.

LEARNT: I’ve certainly learnt a lot during this reading week. Not only have I learnt and been able to apply the four reflections I have from Miller’s work (Autobiographical Work, Body Movement, Imagery and Language), but have also learnt about the topic I wish to explore in my performance. It can certainly be seen that there if a disconnect between media representations of celebrities and the Illuminati’s influence and the fundamental reality of it. Events like the Supebowl and Golden Globes are trivialised within the conspiracy to evoke a reaction from the masses.

EXPERIENCE: Overall, the experience for my research during reading week was overwhelmingly positive. I’ve found a key interest point within the topic of ‘conspiracy theory’ and ‘illuminati’ that I had identified earlier and believe I am now in a position to begin creating material soon.

 

Works Cited

Baggini, J. (2018) Does the Illuminati control the world? Maybe it’s not such a mad idea. The Guardian: London. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/14/illuminati-running-world-not-mad-idea-questioning-hidden-power-elites-sane [Accessed 27th February 2018]

Miller, T. (2018) Tim Miller Performer Blog. BlogSpot. Available at: http://timmillerperfomer.blogspot.co.uk/ [Accessed 28th February 2018]

Perel, M. (2011) Tim Miller on Glorybox – Interview. TimeOut: Chicago. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/chicago/gay-lesbian/tim-miller-on-glory-box-interview [Accessed 24th February 2018]

The Richest (2015) The Illuminati in Pop Culture. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQjXHmmeO6Y [March 1st 2018]

 

Solo Performance! (Comedy is something you’re born with, not something you can learn xo)

In preparation for Seminar 4.1, myself, Courtney Davies and Sebastian Farr collaborated on a satirical take on the lies behind the Brexit campaign. I wrote the section around the lies and ‘stretched truths’ the Remain campaign told, taking the role of Theresa May pre-Brexit as a pro-Remain campaigner. Our task was to create a performance that works for a particular style, in our case this was Traverse staging.

To create the performance, we decided that we wanted to incorporate a screen which would help us to further the comedy and political satire. In one of my section, it was direct that the following would happen:

 

“As you probably can tell, I am a woman of my word. This referendum is going to make history, as the Remain campaign is going to win by a landslide.

The screen plays Theresa May stating ‘I won’t be calling a snap election’, before being promptly followed by ‘Theresa May calls a snap election’.”

The text in bold is directions for the screen. In this case, the screen has been used to create a direct sense of irony between what the performer is saying and what they are doing. Ironic comedy is commonplace in Solo Performance, as “dramatic irony stems from a sense of not knowing, or partial knowledge” (Barranger, 2012, 364) which is “easily portrayed when the space incorporates only the audience and spectator” (Barranger, 2012, 364).

The use of traverse staging and a screen inspired me to begin creating a diagram of a potential performance space for my Illuminat-based performance. The use of multimedia particularly interested me owing to the connotations created for the Illuminati by the media.

My reason behind placing a podium in front of the traverse-seated audience is to create a distance between actor and audience at the start of the performance, to then move out of this space and move around and into the audience area. Podium Two is a bit convoluted currently, as I have the brief idea to end the performance here, but what I will be doing there is currently unclear. The reason the audience are split into two is so they are facing each other, as I believe it is more effective to have them facing another member of the audience as they can experience the reactions of other members of the audience. Within comedy, I believe that if you see another member of the audience laughing or embracing the material, you feel more freedom to react to the work. The projection screen will hopefully be acting for the same purpose as within the ‘Brexit’ monologue I wrote in collaboration with Seb and Courtney.

 

The rest of the Brexit Monologue can be seen below the references.

 

WANT: To finesse my ideas behind ‘podium two’ and to continue researching into my idea. Fundamentally, I do not want to get too ‘strung up’ with this one idea and am open to changes/amendments.

LEARNT: How to use spacing and projection to create an atmosphere and mood, particularly a comedic and light-hearted one.

EXPERIENCE: Overall, my experience with using traverse staging and writing a script were really positive. I reiterated my enjoyment for script writing, reflected in my previous module Off the Page last semester.

Works Cited

Barranger, M. (2012) Theatre: A Way of Feeling. United States: Cengage Learning.

 

REMAIN

 

This scene follows of precedes two others, from the Leave camp and a TV News report. There is a screen at one end of the performance space (transverse). The performer walks on stage with a ‘I Hate the NHS’ badge and a hippie necklace.

 

Theresa Hello and welcome to the 2016 Hunger Games, [cough] I mean, the 2016 rally in favour of Remaining in the European Union. As they say in Parliament, no remain, no gain [laughs]. Just ask reliable politician Boris Johnson, he may be wanting to Leave but I assure you, the only thing that is leaving is the reliability of his tupe. I mean seriously, have you seen his hair now? His hairline is so high I’m surprised he hasn’t been arrested for politicising under the influence. I digress, but Boris knows that I keep my word. In fact, here is a clip of him praising me right now!

 

The screen plays a video of Gail Platt saying ‘I love Olives.’

 

Oops, sorry. Wrong video. The hair is almost exactly the same to be fair. Regardless, Boris Johnson really respects my opinion. As you probably can tell, I am a woman of my word. This referendum is going to make history, as the Remain campaign is going to win by a landslide.

 

The screen plays Theresa May stating ‘I won’t be calling a snap election’, before being promptly followed by ‘Theresa May calls a snap election’.

 

Why do I think remaining in the European Union is the best thing for this country? Well, just ask yourself this – have you ever wanted to go on holibobs, that’s holiday for the less fun-inclined of us, to Syria? But have you wanted to pop down to Barcelona to get a tan with the nice pool boy Paolo? I think the answer to that is yes! And why is that? [pause] No, it’s nothing to do with Syria being a dangerous, third-world country that generally isn’t safe. It’s because it’s in the European Union! If we leave, Barcelona won’t want to entertain you have a ‘cheeky mimosa’ during their siesta. I am VERY confident that staying in the EU is what this country wants. I’ve never been wrong about anything before and I’m not about to start now! Nobody knows what the country knows more than me. Mark my words!

 

 

The screen plays ‘Conservatives lose their majority’.

 

I know what some of you Leave voters might be thinking. £350 million a week to the NHS? Well, surely Theresa May hates the NHS! Well, to tell you the truth, I just don’t see the point of the NHS! I mean seriously, if I had a pound every single time I had to wait in A&E for somebody to help me with my sore back, as they prioritise those who are severely injured I’d be able to fund the £350 million a week myself! This is why I’d encourage privatised health care. For the measly price of JUST three times the average wage in this country, you can afford private health care. If you can’t afford that, it’s pretty simple. Just don’t be poor, silly!

 

On the screen, the Conservative party logo appears with the slogan ‘Conservatives: Don’t Be Poor or We Can’t Help You, Darling.

 

I personally find that reference to our country being in shambles because we’re answering to the EU is a load of codswallop! As good old Wavey Davey Cameron said, if we do leave the European Union we will have ‘serried rows of white headstones’ from World War III. Yes, ladies and gentleman, leaving the European Union will quite literally cause a third world war. And that’s not even the worst part, it might get more difficult for the elite to dodge taxation! If George Osborne has said anything more prevalent than how bad taxation will be if we leave Europe, I’d like to know!

 

The screen plays a video from a news report which discuss the fact that we have had little if no increase in taxation and spending since leaving the European Union.

 

If we do leave Europe, what kind of message do you think that sends? I can confirm that a recent survey from The Mirror detailed that out of every six Leave voters, over seven of them are confirmed to be racist! That’s right, 120% of the Leave voters are absolute racists! And of that 120%, at LEAST 155% have stated that they don’t believe in Santa. This is a shambles that I am not willing to be a part of! Plus, you’re trusting a man whos name sounds like FROMAGE? Fromage is French for cheese. Now, I don’t know about you ladies and gentleman, but having a last name that sounds like the French term for cheese is awfully suspicious coming from a leave voter! Maybe he’s got a secret plan with the French to test our loyalty!

 

The screen shows a picture of Theresa May holding a baguette whilst smiling.

 

To counteract the ongoing threat of the Leave campaign, I have decided today to release the official Remain campaign app! You can find it at the app store, simply search for ‘Wavey Davey is Gravy Baby and that Nigel Farage is Crazy, Lady’ app and you’ll find it straight away.