Saturday, May 16, 2009

Ask me about my SECRET!


the dada cabaret
(NON) TRADITIONAL CABARET – 8:00PM
on the UC Davis Campus
Bum, bum, listen to the drum
Bring your picnics, blankets and start to hum
As you walk down Hutchison –
past music, art & theatre,
In front of Mrak you will be able to see, hear and feel her.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Tomorrow belongs to DADA!

Gosh, we've come so far and there's plenty to do before the big event tomorrow. I am super excited about the possibilities around this event and that's what keeping me going. Well, that and lots of caffeine.

Yesterday we rehearsed the Hugo Ball Does a Dance piece and were visited by the lovely people at The Davis Enterprise. We finally moved that dance out of the studio and into the world and I must say it felt GREAT. Getting to feel my feet on the grass doing the movement, as well as trying on the pebbled concrete on for size. The concrete is definitely not my favorite, but the balls roll more and they take a life of their own.

I also moved a piano yesterday with a good bit of help from some guys from TCS and then I met with most of the cabaret artists in the SECRET location to go over how this crazy cabaret will go. Since most of the performers have not worked together we are all a little anxious, but know the spirit of Dada will guide us through.

For those attending the daytime event tomorrow, just know it's gonna be HOT. Wear plenty of sunscreen and drink lots of water. And be prepared to get your hands dirty for DADA!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

help, I just realized that the anti-spectacle is indeed a spectacle

Yes it's true. My DADA needs a MAMA, but not in a heteronormative way, or even in a way that supports the idea of binary gender. My DADA also needs a ZAZA and a MEEMEE, a QUSO and a WEBFART.

What am I trying not to say?
Help, I just realized that the anti-spectacle is indeed a spectacle.

Most specifically I just realized that I am being interpellated by cultural studies texts that challenge the hegemonic culture making machinery. What does that mean? I mean that just when I think I'm resisting, or conspiring an "alternative", I realize that the university, the books produced in academia, and the language that we speak to critique hegemony, spectacle, and ideology are all spectacular distractions shouting, "Hey you, look over here!" Just when we get an embodied awareness of the matrix, we get seduced back into the fold, the pliƩ, the crease, the contraction.

Cultural studies texts induce an internalized and masochistic prison industrial complex, including panopticonic surveillance structures, inescapable tortures, punishments, and incarcerations. The room has no windows. Only a ceiling open to an infinite sun, camera, eye. 24/7 people, I'm talking 24/7.

And I'm an artist. A performance artist past the edge of a nervous break (dance). No one understands me. Which is predetermined. We/they want it that way. And I am only now understanding how deeply embedded this failure is. But embedded does not equal embodied. The msm journalist in Iraq is disembodied, cut off from the socio-political body, in a way that should seem familiar to contemporary artists.

So I'm approaching DADA in Davis with some trepidation, some concern about my nostalgic formulations. Isn't nostalgia a further embedding of the ideology that is cyborg-izing what remains of the living tissue that was my bodymind. Ouch, why doesn't cyborg-izing hurt? Why isn't the surgery of interpellation leaving visible scars at the corporeal points of entry or exchange. And how are these points of contact, penetration, and embeddment, anything but the primary material of my dancing, where dancing is the live moment presence of the dance, the making of the dance, the embodiment of the dance?

So I refuse to dance DADA. I will speak to the dead object that is alive with fetishistic vibrancy. I will share my concerns with whoever can hear me. I know that the ear has not kept up with the eye, i.e., the ear listens from a more archaic paradigm than the eye, cyborgized at a faster rate by visual technologies and the languages that support them. So that means I will also sing, sound, moan, whisper, grate, shift, burp, scratch, vibrate and resonate.

Saturday. Davis. 90 degrees in the shade. I'll see you there wearing shades, dishing shade.

Keith X Hennessy

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

T-minus 10 days and counting...

Yesterday, I had a meeting with Tom Munn, the lighting faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance to talk lighting for the evening cabaret. I don't think he would admit it, but I saw him getting pretty excited. When we walked into the secret location, his mind was cranking. I saw him walk the space like a private investigator. Making sure there were plenty of outlets and how the placement of the stage could affect the placement of the lighting instruments. He sees lots of red rope lights and a simple lighting plot that can be used for the entire evening without change. Simple.

Praba Pilar my partner in crime for the evening portion will be guiding the scenic elements. I am thinking swarths of rich fabric to really warm up this cool space. We also talked yesterday about using the 2 foot risers from the department of Theatre and Dance to create a small stage area. Since the audience is on one level and the ground is not level in all areas, I want to make sure everyone can see.

Thank god I have a team of Alpha Phi Omega volunteers to help that morning. One of my DRA 10 students, Maverick Bohn, is on the task of finding DADA images and quotes to put on the volunteer hats. I will check in with my ladies from the Prytanean Society today to see how their presentation went yesterday. It would be great to have more hands on deck.

Now, the chick from the Cal Aggie Band-uh just needs to call me back...

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Updating the world

Many thanks to Chad Sniffen who drafted the latest press release and is sending it out to the world. We decided to keep the detail on the website so I am hoping to get some inquiries from those newspaper types soon.

I sent a bunch of updates for the website to Kathryn Ricoli a few days ago, and in my excitement I keep checking to see if they are up. They aren't. But I did hear from her last night and she should be working on them today.

I am also making a little progress with the artistic events. We are performing a bit (if not all) of Brian Griffin's The Zurich Plays. I just need to cast it - and offer extra credit to my DRA 10 students -- to do a scene or 2.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Makin' the Map


Just came from a meeting with Jessica Bender who is designing the map. We met over some tea and with her inspirations from some Dada graphic design, she will be creating the event map and listing of events.

We had a spirited conversation and it looks like she will incorporate the bowler hat image that we will be using with our volunteers. We both got super excited as we continued to brainstorm and throw out ideas.

We also discussed the "Do It Yourself" Dada tables that will be at each of the 4 afternoon venues. I talked with Sarah Kendrick and Jamie Kumpf on Friday about having a painting station, but after further consideration that has "messy disaster" written all over it. Jessica and I decided on doing Hannah Hoch inspired photomontages instead. And that's great because my good friend Angela Mitchell will be coming in from Atlanta and exhibiting her modern take on a photomontage using images of women in the Iraq war.

I am also working on a big overhaul of the website. I sent new information to Kathryn Ricoli this morning and the super generous Chad Sniffen wrote a draft of the press release. I just made some changes and sent to a group of proofreaders before we send it out into the universe.

Gosh, this event is actually going to happen! How exciting is that?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Countdown Continues

Gosh, there's so much to do. It's a little overwhelming. However, today I met with Christina and Kirti, the service leaders from the Prytanean Women's Honor Society on campus. The meeting was mostly with Christina and Kirti joined us between meetings. I explained the festival in detail and talked about volunteer opportunities for the membership. Actually, I thought the meeting to the membership was yesterday, but after no one showed up I rode my bike home and looked at the correct date in my email. 

Anyway, as I spoke about tasks of posting flyers, setting up the cabaret and the afternoon walking tour, I saw Christina's mind go. She got so incredibly excited and thought of numerous ways for the entire group to get involved. While we met I call from Vanessa at Davis Commons who passed on the number of her contact with the CalAggie Band-Uh. They apparently are having a fundraiser on May 16th and want to use Davis Commons together. With my love of marching bands, I am super excited.

I am optimistic that we will have plenty of help. Just as I am optimistic that the city will be overrun with Dada art and performance.

We are on our way!

Monday, April 20, 2009

The Zurich Plays

In 2001, the Atlanta theatre Dad's Garage produced The Zurich Plays written by Brian Griffin and his band of crazies. I saw it twice. The first time I was -- well, in a drug induced haze, but the second time I was very much sober and yes, still I didn't "get it."

With The Dada Cabaret on the horizon, I contacted Monsieur Griffin through the magic of Facebook and he finally sent it and upon my couch I read the masterpiece that is The Zurich Plays. I do have to say that it makes much for (non) sense now that I have the knowledge of Dada. There are a few ideas that I would like to incorporate into the festival and I didn't realize that I actually took them directly from The Zurich Plays. The number 1 is that I would like to dress someone as Mona Lisa complete with mustache and small beard and when others see her to yell, "She has a hot ass!" Well, maybe Jeanne Jacobson said something similar (and I know she didn't see The Zurich Plays) but there is a very similar section in the play.  

I am going to write to Brian right now and see if we can perform excerpts both during the day and in the evening. Fingers crossed that he says "ja ja!"

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Magic of Bob Bowen

This morning I met the Promotions Manager for the City of Davis to talk about the festival. The man is a wonder on two legs. He is extremely energetic and supportive and knows a heck of a lot about the history of this city.

I met him at the Hunt Boyer Mansion which is currently city offices, however most of the staff are moving back to City Hall. He gave me a quick tour of the first floor before we hustled to the train station plaza. 

Since the train station plaza or technically the Brindley Plaza is one of the afternoon Downtown Davis venues - and the only one that is not commercial property - I needed to talk with the man who knows. Names, dates, history, drama, the characters in the city who are impossible to work with. See, Bob knows!

Bob is a reformed song and dance man who has created and performed many site specific works in Davis. He showed me a few choice spots at the station that I cannot wait to commandeer with art and music on May 16th.

He also assured me that the insurance issue is easily solved. However dealing with the Theatre & Dance department today, they are turning on the orange caution lights. You know, the ones with the piercing annoying noise that sounds to accompany the flashing lights?  Yeah, those. I prefer the calmness of Bob Bowen, thank you very much.

Anyhoo, the other exciting thing is the Pump House on 2nd and E that I have been staring at for months should be okay to use. It's the site that Mishka's will move to, however, the Pump House still stands and it should be in it's current condition through the end of May.

Guess who arranges for use of that space?  Um, yeah, my new buddy Bob Bowen.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

adelante!

I invited two Bay Area performance artists - who do cabaret - to come and do their dadaesque magic with us, but alas, neither was available. I will be excited to present The Cyborg Soap Opera as part of this event.

Just Over a Month to Go!

I met with Peter, my advisor today and he asked if I have been keeping a record of all the craziness? To be honest, it's been mostly word of mouth. I have not had much time to blog, let alone do my laundry. And then there is this big dada extravaganza less than a month from now. 

Julie Friedrichsen jumped on a board a week ago and had been helping with securing venues and getting permits. And I met with Jenna Chen yesterday to give feedback on her flyer designs.

There are also additional requests to volunteer and I will be meeting with Praba Pilar tomorrow to create a poster.

I also had a great Hugo Ball dance rehearsal yesterday and we decided to do an abstraction of the piece where we change clothes with each other. I am very excited.

I just came from 2 surprise visits with positive outcomes. The first was a semi-surprise. We have been playing phone tag with Natalie from the Pence Gallery and I stopped by to schedule time with her tomorrow. And then I went to a loft space where I want to use a balcony. I got a call from the leasing office the other day and she said no, so I went up to this beautiful Asian-styled patio and started knocking on the residents doors. I think I got a taker. A nice guy from the history department. He's checking with his wife, so I think we're golden.

Now I just have to tackle elements of insurance.

Wish me luck!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Major Updates

I cannot believe the Winter Quarter has come and gone.  We have made a ton of progress, but not as much as I've wanted.  I did have some help this quarter with some of the marketing and managerial duties and thankfully there has been a bit of artistic creation.  

But I guess I should start and say that the City of Davis did indeed award us with the grant we applied for.  Not only that, we were fully funded.  We received all that we requested.  Which is very surprising in this current economic climate.

Lynette Hunter from the Theatre & Dance Department worked her magic and got a group of Davis Honors Challenge students to take on the project, Dada Lives!  Four third-years assisted with writing a press release, creating a Facebook group and starting to make community contacts.  For the most part they kept me on track and got me excited each and every time I met with them.

Over the last few weeks, I have also been collaborating with 5 other dancers to create my Hugo Ball Dance.  PhD candidate, Claire Blackstock will be reading a Hugo Ball poem in German while the dancers move on those giant yoga/exercise balls.  In fact, we finally put the dance together today and Claire came for about 30 minutes so we played with rhythm and tone.  We will continue this on Friday.

Lastly, we are moving slowly on the school workshops.  We have 2 high school classes and potentially two junior high classes.  I have yet to speak to any elementary classes and with my schedule, I may let that go.  Just as we did with the flash mobs.

I have invite a number of new authors, so hopefully there will be an influx of writing sooner rather than later.

Onward Ho!