Sounds so interesting, Elizabeth, thanks for these reports. I am very sorry
I am too far away to see them. On the other hand, I saw a fascinating piece
of theatre last night (at La Mama, Melbourne) which had some affinities to
sound poetry, the voice as inventive and expressive instrument - a
remarkable performer, Carolyn Connors, directed by another remarkable
performer/writer, Margaret Cameron. It began as an assault on language:
Connors with a ridiculous hat that obscured most of her face, except her
mouth, making a dialogue of gibberish by speaking with her finger in her
mouth; then playing an imaginary piano, singing the notes and doing things
to her voice that at times became an assault on the ear; then an amazing
sequence involving wine glasses and bits of tin foil... despite the constant
use of voice, no words at all until about half way through. It was a satire
on the feminine, and became wickeder and funnier as it progressed - there
was a very funny and rather sinister moment where she became a kind of
vagina dentata. Anyway, I will blog it when I have some connected thoughts
about it, it's difficult to describe and do justice to. It dispelled the
doubts I had at the beginning about a focus on the pre-linguistic feminine
and all the way through challenged in inventive ways the relationship
between witness and participant, being full of resistance to any easy
approach, and doing very interesting things with embarrassment, in
particular.
Best
A
Alison Croggon
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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