two test
DESCRIPTION
TEST TWO for 17 BCTRANSCRIPT
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
a new performance work by Thaddeus Phillips
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
// 17 FRONTERAS
Director & Creator of RED-EYE to HAVRE de GRACE & WHaLE OPTICS, Thaddeus Phillips steps back onstage to weave together real adventures of international border crossings into a dramatic examination of imaginary lines, arbitrary passports and curious customs. 17 BORDER CROSSINGS explores a world opened up by the fall of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/89 and sealed off by the events of 9/11/01 and re-imagined after the Arab Spring that began 11/17/10. Phillips embarks on new territory by stripping the stage bare to create a deceptively simple stage voyage that takes audiences to the frontiers of Bosnia, Cuba, Morocco, Brazil, Serbia, Colombia, Bali, Holland, Czech Republic, Israel, Croatia, Jordan and Mexico.
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
Phillips has traveled extensively over the past 15 years to research material for the creation of original theatrical projects (‘LOST SOLES’ in Cuba; ‘¡EL CONQUISTADOR! in Colombia, ‘CAPSULE 33’ in Serbia; ‘THE MeLTING BRiDgE’ in Brazil & Mexico; ‘THE EARTH’s SHARP EDGE’ in Morocco, ‘THE FILAMENT CYCLE’ in Bosnia). During this period of travel and research, he has collected a variety of international border crossings stories that range from Jordanian guards having an absurd but very serious discussion about his identity due to an old hair cut in his passport photo, to Colombian DAS officials planting cocaine in his suitcase, to being deported out of Denpasar’s airport in Bali. However, none of these stories have ever been used in a theatrical work. 17 BORDER CROSSINGS//17 FRONTERAS will be an investigative & visual solo theater work inspired from this material.
The text for ‘17 BORDER CROSSINGS’ was developed through a series of touring workshop performances in which the border crossing stories were edited, refined & put into second person. This project has passed it’s final phase of development and is ready to go into FULL THEATRICAL PRODUCTION.
STRUCTURE17 BORDER CROSSINGS//17 FRONTERAS will take the Spalding Gray monologue format and fuse it with various performance styles to create 17 ‘mini-plays’. At one far end of the stage will be the classic Spalding Gray inspired wooden desk, with a microphone, glass of water and notebook. In the center of the playing area, each border crossing will be staged with a transformative use of the ‘Light Bar’ that will morph into the radically different geographic locations. The 17 ‘mini-plays’ will range from 1 to 20 minutes long and be self-contained, each with their own style, rhythm and dynamic. Some will be humorous, some intense, some hyper-realistic, some metaphoric. Each of these ‘mini-plays’ will be framed by ‘interludes’ - accounts of passport and travel documentation history, an analysis of the US passport and all it’s symbology, facts, images and myths from borders the world over. The ‘mini-plays’ provide the theatrical & dramatic content, while the ‘interludes’ provide history, theory & footnotes. The spark for the creation of this new work came from friends who always insisted that these stories were often more interesting than the material that would end up in Lucidity’s shows. Images, ideas, characters, languages, and concepts from past LSI works appear in some way in ’17 BORDER CROSSINGS’ - in an artistic sense, it is a retrospective work and a performance style never been attempted by Phillips before.
STYLEThe performance style for each crossing will take inspiration from different sources such as: Stand-up comedy, the films of Emir Kustarica, the floor shows of the Tropicana in Havana, musicals about Austria, cheap magic, Native myths of the Arizona desert, 1960‘s French Cinema and even Northern Mexican chilli relleno recipes. The use of language will be a major theme in the work and two versions of the narrative text of the ‘interludes’ will be written and performed, one in English, the other in Spanish. (English performances will be titled ’17 BORDER CROSSINGS’, Spanish performances ’17 FRONTERAS’) Both versions will include dialogue within the 17 ‘mini-plays’ in Slovenian, Hebrew, Serbian, Czech, French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, etc.
THEMESThematically, the themes to be addressed in 17 BORDER CROSSINGS//17 FRONTERAS are the artificiality of borders, the history of the passport, geographical conundrums & contradictions, and what arbitrary lines do to people, families, cultures, nations, the environment and civilization as a whole. Stylistically this work aims to create a deceptively simple performance. Much of Phillips’ past work has involved complex sets, use of video, and many scene changes. For this work, Phillips will be stripping away his usual artistic crutches and seeking to hone his skills in creating something purely theatrical.
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
THE BORDERS#1. HUNGARY//SERBIA (1999 via the ‘Balkan Express’)#2. ITALY//CROATIA (1993 by Ferry)#3. CZECH REPUBLIC//ITALY (1998 by Train) #4. MOSTAR //MOSTAR (2012 by Sound)#5. ISRAEL//JORDAN (1999 by Foot)#6. JORDAN//ISRAEL (1999 by Bus) #7. HOLLAND//FRANCE (1994, by Bus)#8. ANYWHERE//COLOMBIA (2011 by Plane)#9. AUSTRIA//GERMANY (anytime, by Chairlift) #10. SIDI BOUZID, TUNISIA (2010, by Fire) #11. CANADA//USA (2005 by Telephone)#12. SINGAPORE//INDONESIA (2000 by Plane)#13. SPAIN//MOROCCO (2010 by Ferry)#14. CUBA (2000 by ’57 Chevy, Banana Taxi, Horse & Carriage, 1954 Buick and Opel) #15. COLOMBIA//BRAZIL//PERU (2009 by Moto-Taxi) #16. ANYWHERE//USA (2002, by Plane)
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
WORKING PRODUCTION PLAN2013
JANUARY to MARCH - final text, designs finished
APRIL - Live Arts LAB showings -
JULYJULY 1st to JULY 10th - TECH REHEASALS at BUNTPORT THEATER in Denver.JULY 11th to JULY 28 - THREE-WEEK run at BUNTPORT THEATER in Denver. This will be a working performance run, set up to experiment with scene order, and to tighten the show.
AUGUST - Tech & Previews
SEPTEMBER - WORLD PREMIERE at the 2013 PHILADELPHIA LIVE ARTS FESTIVAL. Ideal Venues are THE ARTS BANK, PLAYS & PLAYERS or new LIVE ARTS VENUE
FALL 2013- TOUR to Miami Light Project & San Francisco International Theatre Festival
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
DESIGN - ‘BORDER WALL’17 BORDER CROSSINGS is played on a decptivley simple playing area. The stage is open
LED SCREEN
STEEL CABLE PULL
BEDOUIN TENT
RAFT
miniatures - fences, sand in suitcases, etc
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
U S A
HEADLIGHT
camera projector
HEADLIGHT
LED SCREEN
DESIGN - ‘LIGHT BAR’LIGHT BAR
LED SCREEN M E X I C Odownlight
downlight
outlightoutlight
LED SCREEN
JUMPSEAT
place fans on boxes for flight to amazon 17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
TEXT SAMPLE
BORDER CROSSING #9AUSTRIA//GERMANYBy CHAIRLIFT2005
TRAVELERFor no particular reason whatsoever, you are in a Chairlift in Austria.
AUSTRIA is a Cliche of itself — Yes the HILLS ARE ALIVE, with the SOUND of Music. and you can almost see Maria and the many Von Trapp children Grettel, Brigeet, Liesel, Martha, Fredrick and two or three others — running, rolling & falling down the mountain.
It is summer and your realize you have never been on a chairlift without Skis or a Snowboard and you do not know how you will get off the Chairlift. The top of the mountain approaches, and in an abysmal attempt to dismount you fall off the chair lift hitting the green Austrian grass with your face. You get up, brush yourself off, you notice a sign that says:
Willkommen in DeutschlandWelcome to Germany.Wow. You just crossed from Austria to Germany via Chairlift.And then you look around and notice something Strange - Something is not quite right, becauseGermany looks just like Austria.
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
TEXT SAMPLE
17 BORDER CROSSINGS // 17 FRONTERAS
WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE IMAGES
WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE IMAGES