Melbourne Festival is an international multi-art festival held every year in, you guessed it, Melbourne. It includes dance, theater, music, visual arts, multimedia, and outdoor events.
When I originally looked at the catalogue/program of all the different offerings, I had so many chosen from each category that I was set to go broke attending art performances. I spent the last 2 weeks before the festival began in Port Douglas so I had completely forgotten about the festival and hadn't purchased any tickets. I got back from PD and realized a few days later that the festival had already began and I had already planned some things over certain days of the festival. Unfortunately, for me this cut down my options quite a bit, but fortunately for my wallet, I wasn't going to be able to see everything.
It came down to 3 - 1. An Act of Now (Dance), 2. Hold (Performance Art Engagement), 3. Before Your Very Eyes (Theater).
An Act of Now
This is a dance piece performed by Chunky Move (founded in 1995) of Melbourne, Australia at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. This piece won The 2012 The Age (major Australian Newspaper) Award for best major new Australian work at the Melbourne Festival.
Each viewer was given headphones. It was completely dark outside except for the 4 bright lights at the bottom of the huge hill the viewers walked along the top of. Coming through the headphones was quiet, slightly frantic, whispering. "I can't tell you how long this is going to take." "Let's not talk about this now." "Be careful." At the very bottom of the hill a person dressed in firefighting gear with orange traffic control sticks started walking slowly up the hill saying things about fire safety - "Don't leave the stove on", "Call in an emergency". Intermittently as she walked forward there was a slight boom and a glass house on the stage, filled with smoke, would light up. Every other time there was a silhouette of a guy in a waist coat and top hat. She stopped at the top of the hill near the long line of viewers and used the orange sticks to direct us forward. The mass of viewers walked slowly down the hill until the woman made an "X" with the sticks. She then pointed to left side of the mass and then pointed down the hill to the left side as a walk way lit up. She pointed to the right side of the mass and pointed down the hill to the right side as a walk way lit up. The viewers walked down the walkways past all the seats, up a set of stairs on either side, and met on the stage on bleacher like seats. [I got a seat right in the middle =] By this point the glass house was constantly lit with a mute orange/brown light. It was filled with smoke and intermittently silhouettes appeared in the corners and sides. Then they would sink back into the smoke as other silhouettes came forward.
There were 8 dancers in this piece - 4 boys, 4 girls. Partnered up, they danced slowly with each other, hinting at relationship. The dancing became increasingly chaotic as they moved faster with each other and more violent. They smacked the glass walls, fell to the floor, ran around, threw each other, etc. About 1/4 of the way through the piece, all of the smoke had cleared. The movements remained fast, forceful, and sharp. While watching, I felt as if I was the only one seeing this performance, as though it was just for me or as though I was eavesdropping on an important interaction. This feeling, I believe, came from the headphones. When I took the headphones off and looked around everyone was in the same "trance" I was. Dead still, eyes wide, not blinking, forgetting to breathe, and probably thinking they were the only ones seeing the performance, and forgetting about everyone else around them. Without the headphones, there was silence except for an intermittent boom from speakers and the sound of the dancers' breaths and bodies as they hit the walls and floor. About 1/2 way through I smelled something strange and then I realized I was smelling the dancers' sweat. Most people may think that is gross, but for me... it just made the interaction between the piece and myself that much more personal.
About 3/4 of the way through one of the female dancers was smacking the most dominant male dancer. His body responded with jolts and flinches and screams. After quite a few smacks his body movements toned down a bit and his scream was a bit quieter and instead one of the girls on the floor flinched a bit and let out a small sound. With each following slap the guy's response got quieter as the girl's got bigger and louder. After a few more smacks the girl stopped smacking him and the two of them stared, along with everyone else who was huddled on the floor, at the blonde girl screaming uncontrollably like something had taken over her. Her screaming, writhing, and fist pounding on the floor and walls suddenly stopped and all was silent - uncomfortably so. After about 30 seconds one of the guys on the floor began trying to hold back a smirk and snicker - then another person, then another person. Before long everyone (including the screaming blonde) was sitting on the floor around the perimeter of the inside of the house with their backs along the wall hysterically laughing - loud. This also went on for an uncomfortable amount of time. I could hear an audience member here or there every now and then snicker a bit and I found myself snickering a bit too. Nothing was funny really... but it was as though we almost felt compelled to laugh because they were or to break the awkwardness. The laughs grew quiet, but their mouths remained open, stuck. As they danced their mouths relaxed a bit, one by one.
Shortly after this the viewers were let in on another aspect of the glass house. The metal bars lying horizontal about half way up the walls were actually ledges. The dancers began using these ledges to find new positions, watch the happenings from a different angle, and climb around. Shortly after this discovery was the discovery of the bars in a grid-like pattern along the inside of the top of the glass house. The dancers used these to change location, show different aspects of relationship, give the viewers new levels to think about, make different shapes with their body, etc. Then, seemingly out of nowhere they started trying to decide who should leave the house - they all ganged up on this one guy. He stormed out of the glass house, screaming. He headed past the chairs in the audience kicking things. He reached the grass (the bottom of the big hill mentioned earlier) and he picked up a traffic cone and threw it, screaming. He also kicked some other signs up there. The rest of the dancers just stood there watching. He came back down to the glass house, opened the door, and said he was sorry. The dancers all said it was okay and gave him hugs.
Two of the dancers partnered up and became the main focus while another dancer moved around on the bars over head. When the partners seemed to be coming to a close on their bit, I looked around to see what the other dancers were doing and I realized... I was sure there were more dancers... There were 2 dancers missing. I would have seen them leave through the same door the guy did, because it was pretty obvious. I just couldn't figure it out until I saw a tile lift off the floor, turn, and tilt at an angle. Next thing I know one of the "missing" dancers came up from the floor. Then another tile lifted on the opposite side of the floor and the other dancer came up from there. Below the floor now became another level to ponder. There were now 4 levels of the house - the ceiling, the walls, the floor, and underneath the floor - that the dancers could utilize. It opened up so many more movement opportunities including new partnering and new lines. About 5 minutes from the end one of the guys came up through the floor to about his waist. He had a sparkly silver jacket over his dance clothes and had a violin propped under his chin on his shoulder. He played a smooth, slow piece while the remaining 2 dancers slowly changed positions while never letting go of each other. The guy hung upside down by the bend in his knees wrapped around a bar on the ceiling. She alternated between having her feet on the floor and feet off the floor hanging from him. At the end they slipped slowly down through one of the holes in the floor and the violinist followed behind them.
Next thing you know all of the dancers are running up the aisles, towards the hill (they came from under the stage, but viewers couldn't see that). It appeared as though they had all thrown black clothes or at least a black jacket over their neutral, muted colored clothing. They were running, screaming, laughing, playing, and just enjoying this sense of freedom. They disappeared over the hill and then a second later came running back over and down the hill to the front of the glass house. The audience cheered, stomped their feet, whistled, and clapped as the cast bowed, ran backstage, and ran back out 2 or 3 times (I still haven't figured out why). And just like that... This brilliant, beautiful, emotion filled dance piece was over.
The piece was so captivating with it's movement and surprising change in available levels. The relationships formed and emotions experienced drew me in and held me there, on the edge of my seat, forgetting to breathe, waiting for the next development. When it was over all I wanted was more or to see it all over again.
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| Standing at the top of the hill looking down |
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| If you look carefully toward the center of the photo you can see the dancers on the hill |
Hold
This was an immersive, multi-sensory, interactive experience created by David Cross of New Zealand at the Arts House Meat Market in Melbourne.
You walk in and the space is large and open with black curtains lining the walls. There is a small sign-in table and 3 benches in a U-shape for waiting. At the table you sign a waiver saying that you are physically able and understand the psychological aspect of the piece. You are told to remove any jewelry or glasses and empty your pockets before entering. You sit on one of the benches quietly listening to the conversations of the 3-4 people nearby talking about what it will be like. You hear words/phrases like "dark", "interesting", "different", "you can't wear tights or socks". Your eavesdropping is interrupted by someone calling your name and telling you they're ready for you - it's your turn. You walk over to these large, heavy, black doors with 2 buckets sitting next to them. You take off your shoes, socks, jacket, and glasses and place it all in the bucket along with your purse, phone, camera, papers, and anything else you may have with you. You hear over the radio of the attendant that they are ready for you to go in. You walk up to the doors, look up, and realize these doors must be about 18 feet tall. You pull, finding that they are surprisingly lighter than expected.
You walk into a large hardwood floored room with light colored walls and a large, blue, house shaped, inflatable in the center of the room. As you walk closer you see two ramps in the center of it separated by a thin wall. As previously directed by the attendant, you walk/climb up the ramp on the left. You reach the top only to find a little inflatable ledge (about the width of one of your feet) with a huge drop off to your left and... a hand sticking out of the wall to the your right... The hand's palm is up, fingers slightly spread apart, as though welcoming you to grab hold of it - to do so though, you would have to step on to the ledge, which is in fact, the only way across... You step onto the ledge, grab the hand, and slowly put one foot in front of the other. You can feel the hand's strength and struggle as it tries to pull you closer to the wall and keep you from falling off the ledge. Halfway across - Left, right, left, right, lef... you start to slip but you and the hand pause as one as the hand fights to keep you up. Somehow the hand finds it's strength, keeps you up, and you start walking again. You get close to the end, you take one of the last steps forward, but the hand doesn't move forward with you - it won't budge. You could hold on to the hand and turn around and go out, but then you won't know what lies ahead around the corner. You decide to let go of the hand and take the final few steps very quickly while holding on to whatever inflatable pieces of the wall you can grab. You make it to the other side and look back to find that the hand has disappeared... Strangely you want to thank the hand...
You turn right, around a corner, and just about run into a black, fabric wall. You feel around the edges trying to figure out how to get through. You realized there is a seam in the middle. You pull at the seam to discover the wall is being held together by extremely strong Velcro. You rip open the wall, step through, and the wall automatically reseals itself behind you. Before you know it you have been blinded. You can see absolutely nothing. For a second your breath stops and your mind starts spinning - what lies ahead? is it flat, inclined, or declined? is stuff going to pop out at me? will it suddenly drop off? is there another ledge? how long will this last? will the walls disappear? are there walls? is it just a straight shot out? should I run and get it over with or walk slowly in case there's a drop off or sudden turn? should I close my eyes and just tell myself it's actually light? You grab a hold of your brain and tell it to shut up and remind yourself that several other people have done this and clearly it's safe. You decide to start by holding on to the walls and slowly sweeping your feet side to side in front of you - nothing there but more inflatable walk way. Next you decide to feel the walls - slowly, slowly, AHHH!!! You touched something!! Wait... did that something touch you back? You go back to the wall, touching slowly, there it is again! Could it be?... It's another hand...
You hold on to this hand, but not quite as tightly as the previous hand. You walk slowly, sweeping your feet in front of you with each step. You question the purpose of the hand... Is it simply to help you with the fear of the dark and unknown? Is it going to assist you in direction? Is it going to hold on to you if there is a drop off? Still walking through the pitch dark you wonder how much longer this is going to last. So far there have been no turns, no change in elevation, and the walls have not changed either. You see a faint faint light up ahead, above head height, which means there is a wall or something there, something more definite. You decide to keep your eyes on the light and just walk forward, still sweeping your feet with each step, still holding on to the hand, still trying to keep all the thoughts and questions in your mind at bay. Still no change in direction, elevation, or anything else - you arrive at the light at another fabric wall with that same seam down the middle. You rip open the Velcro to find lots of light and another ramp, leading down, like the first one you climbed up. You are on the other side. You step through and start walking/climbing down the ramp. When you look back the wall has sealed itself shut - sealing in all the what used to be unknown. And again... you missed your opportunity to thank the hand, but then again... how would you do that?
You climb down, step off, glad to be on solid ground again, you walk away towards those big black doors. You take a look back and quickly process what all just took place in such a short amount of time. You walk through the doors, put on your socks, shoes, and jacket, grab your belongings, thank the attendants, and leave as though nothing ever happened... but it did and you need to think about it...
Before Your Very Eyes
Put on by Gob Squad, founded in 1994, this piece explores theatre meeting performance, art, and media. Gob Squad is a group of UK and German artists based in Berlin and Nottingham. They have received international acclaim for their works.
The stage is set with a clear wall set back on the stage with mirrored walls on the other 3 sides. Inside the small space these walls create is 7 young teenagers watching tv, reading magazines, playing cards, and doing each other's hair. On the stage, to the left and right of the glass wall, were 2 screens. Above the glass wall was a marquee. The actors spoke German, so the marquee was used for English subtitles. The two screens on either side showed prerecorded footage and/or the live feed from the video camera in the back corner of the room.
Using the screens we were introduced to a younger version (6-10 years old) of each of the characters (played by themselves). There was an unseen actor that was an overhead voice of a woman, who spoke English. The voice talked to the children and the children talked back. She informed them that they would be living life in fast forward. The kids turn older teens, mid-life (40s), and elderly (80s). As young teens we see their carefree lifestyle and innocence - bright colors, dancing, and laughing. As older teens we see their rebellion, confusion, bad decisions - smoking, having sex, all black. At mid-life we see grown up decision, following social constructs, and uncomfortability with life - weight gain, divorce, lonliness. At the elderly age we see them questioning what all of this (life) was for, wondering why any of it matters, and what they are leaving behind.
To transition to each age a relevant song was played and they put on different clothes one or two people at a time standing in front of the glass wall as though it were a mirrored wall like the rest of them. They also used make-up, wigs, and accessories to signify their age. At times you would almost forget that there were just young teens under all that mess and then something would slip through reminding you of their youth and innocence. At different times during the piece they would talk with their younger selves (on prerecorded footage on the tv or the screen) or their future selves (an actor would dress up like the future character and stand on the outside of the glass wall as they touched hands).
During the mid-life portion the overhead voice told each actor what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. This reminded me of all the social rules we are taught to follow whether we want to or not like pretending to like someone else's baking, talking to people we would rather not talk to, and pretending like you haven't noticed someone's weight gain. As the old versions of the young people die it really makes you question life in general as well as its purpose. Not being able to understand the words coming out of their mouths and having to read the subtitles was an interesting aspect of the play. It really removed you from it and made you very much an observer of these children living life in fast forward until before they and you knew it, it was over.
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| Screen to the left - prerecorded footage. Marquee above - subtitles. Screen to the right - live feed from the video camera in the back right corner of the room |
An Act of Now was the most dynamic and beautiful of the three. Hold required the most of me out of the three. And Before Your Very Eyes made me ask the most questions out of the three. Each was amazing in its own way and worth every penny. I would watch/do them all all over again.
Side Note: I took public transportation to and from all of these events. I managed to make it to each one with plenty of time even though on the way to one of these performances I took the tram too far and had to get off and get on a tram going the other direction to get off at the right stop, but I still made it in time. It was the trips home that were interesting. First One: It was dark when I got out so I was all turned around and didn't know which way was which, so I just followed people. They dispersed and then I just looked for a main road and trams and walked in that general direction. I was going to have to get on one tram, go two stops forward, and switch trams, but turns out I was walking towards the stop I was going to have to switch at. It was a bit of a wait, but once I got on, I got to go straight home. Second One: I walked to what I was sure was the right tram stop, but the signage was not very good, so I thought that wasn't right and then walked back to where I came from to a different tram stop. I got on and sure enough we went right by the stop I had originally walked to. Third One: The play started late and so let out late. I had to run the 500m from the theater to the tram stop to make it on time or I was going to have to wait an additional 10-15 minutes and it was already late. I ran, out of breath, throat hurting, and dizzy, but I made it in time and it was a straight shot home.
