Project #2 Unconventional Theater

FILTHY LUCRE: A Burlesque Christmas Carol

Collective:Unconscious, New York City

Dec. 2-13 2009

Producers "host"
Nasty Canasta
Jonny Porkpie

"In addition to Pinchbottom star Nasty Canasta as Scrooge, Jonny Porkpie as Marley, and Anita Cookie, Bastard Keith, Naughtia Nice, Scott Rayow, and Tigger!, the event will feature a rotating cast of guest stars that includes the best in New York City Burlesque, and 10+ award-winners from the Burlesque Hall of Fame, including three Miss Exotic World winners."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/columnpic/luridpulp-killporkpie.jpg

What makes this "unconventional" to me is that the Pinchbottom gang have taken a show that

people for a hundred plus years and turned it not so much on it's head, but more on its back(or

front) side. Everyone knows a Christmas Carol, and it's the same dull shit every god damned

year. These clowns have found a way to take this and make it where a regular guy such as

myself (who is really tired of christmas crap) and make me want to pay attention. Plus, it

makes for a more plausible in todays world... well, if you spend alot to time in titty bars that is.

“Dr. Tedrow’s Last Breath”

deep ellum ensemble

Aug. 4-Aug. 7, 2004

by Matthew Earnest
score by Joseph Trôski.

Utilizing an original score by deep ellum’s South African-born composer Joseph Trôski,and dances by Tina Fehlandt,... the ensemble weaves

together various elements in an arresting style that is at once ancient and utterly new. Live accompaniment is provided on everything from accordian and synthesizers to banjo and guitar. Dances range from a tragic lament danced by the Cuban weather officials whose repeated

warnings were ignored, to a frenetic hoedown for the inflated citizens of Bantam, to a stunning imagining of Mrs.Tedrow’s lifeless body drifting in the undertow.

http://deepellum.org/pdf/tedrow.pdf

I feel that this is unconventional due to the amalgamation of classic performance areas in the realm of theater, while dealing with recent (sort of) events. It has the feel of a greek tragedy, with a foot in our time (although set in 1900). If the playwright had just changed a few characters, and moved the setting a few hundred miles east this play could be a show about hurricane Katrina as told my Aristotle.

Gatz

Elevator Repair Service

Directer John Collins

Production Management B.D. White

Adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jan 7- 7 Feb 2010

"Gatz is a bold staging of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, verbatim and unabridged."

- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

http://www.mcachicago.org/performances/perf_detail.php?id=370

Gatz is a experimental pice in my mind due to the fact that it is more than just a six hour pice. The ERS has taken a classic American novel, and brought it to life. They also break the modern "drive by theater" by staying true to the text, instead of cutting it down, and making it another three hour pice.

Fleet

Fevered Sleep

Conceived by
David Harradine & Samantha Butler

Nov 2005- May 2006

"Fleet was an installation of paper boats and specially commissioned soundscapes, inspired by the history of the Quays as a departure and arrival point for countless ships, boats and barges."

FeveredSleep website

http://www.feveredsleep.co.uk/past-projects/fleet/

Fleet is unconventional to me because it is devoid of actors. The focus of the show is a bunch of paper boats, and a spectrum of sounds. Granted I'm not the most "learned" theater major, but this to me is pretty out there. I can see how this would work, but I'm just not sure how it all would work out.

The Making of Americans: The Silent Scream of Martha Hersland

Gertrude Stein Repertory Theater

Novel by Gertrude Stein

Playwright Leon Katz

Stein's semi-autobiographical text radically reworks the traditional family saga, encompassing her vision of personality and psychological relationships. As family history progresses, she meditates on her writing, the making of the book, America and the essence of what makes us human. GSRT's production will merge traditional techniques with the presentation possibilities of the digital stage to convey the stylistic range of Stein's themes and linguistic innovations in a way not possible in previous adaptations, including adapter Leon Katz's own 1969 operatic staging. Designed to be performed in the style of Japanese Bunraku in front of live audiences by a process that we call "digital puppetry," GSRT's adaptation will give unique expression to the literary device Stein employs as she isolates, dissects and grafts psychological traits onto imaginary characters.

http://www.gertstein.org/project1.html


I feel that this production is unconventional due to how it merges many different styles of theater together, and how it's technological aspect adds to it. Using live actors and using digital overlays on that actor, allows for more characters and also cuts down on the number of actual live actors on stage. Also the use of protectors allows for little to no set, and set changes. The set, and actors are as far as the directors imagination can go.