Noah Witke Mele
Pilot Narrative
Semester 2
Exhibition Date: 06.13.17
There is nowhere that I can imagine that would serve me as well as Pilot does, here I am given freedom, structure, and power to shape my world into something that I care about.
This semester, more than ever before, I have been aware of my own learning, what motivates me to do so, and how I work best. Through this I have grown to make better work, be more aware of the space that I take up, and understand how to be my best self.
Some themes from this semester:
Inspiration
In the final weeks of this year I wrote a Manifesto. It drew upon ideas and concepts that I have been dealing with throughout my Pilot career, and have often tried to write about. But every time I have attempted this I have stalled out soon after.
On the Pilot whiteboard a quote was written and has stayed for a considerable time:
“Inspiration is for amateurs- the rest of us just show up and get to work.”
-Chuck Close
I’ve been looking at this quote for some time, and about half the time I agree with it, and the other half I don’t.
One should not rely solely on inspiration to get through anything. But inspiration is a joyful thing, and the surge of creativity and energy that comes with it can be a very powerful force if understood and harnessed.
Back to my Manifesto: Without the burst of inspiration that I had the day that I wrote the first draft, I never would have identified it as an idea worth pursuing any longer. I had tried and failed this year already, and ws running short on time. But because I sat down one day and realized that I really wanted to write it right in that moment, and allowed myself to be taken by that inspiration, I started something that I believe to be some of my best writing this year.
Inspiration can be an incredibly helpful thing. But it does not make you do things that you do not want to do. Which is why showing up and getting to work is just as important.
Revision
The next steps I took with my Manifesto were simple and swift. I looked at the page that I wrote in my fit of inspiration and decided that I was going to do the work to make it my best. Luckily my english meeting with Chris was supposed to be the next day, so I brought it up there and we talked about what steps I could take to improve upon it.
I continued to ride the adrenaline of being inspired through writing the second draft of the piece. I then went to Chris again and we had another meeting with the specific goal of working the Manifesto. Chris gave notes and we talked about the purpose of the piece. I revised again.
Then I got to thinking about how I wished that I could do this kind of work with a piece of artwork. Because wouldn't it be great if I could make something exponentially better (like my Manifesto) by talking about it any analyzing it critically.
Of course I have been doing this all year long, but most of my revision of my artwork happens in my internal dialogue with myself. But it was outwardly demonstrated in my work on Zero Hour, which grew starting from the first days of this year.
Amy and I did very similar work on Zero Hour to that that Chris and I did on the Manifesto.
Revision is a powerful process, and I understand now just how much better it makes my work. I hope to revise and workshop pieces more intentionally in the future.
Collaboration
Collaboration with other Pilot students has been a driving force throughout this semester for me.
I asked Lola Bennett to write a piece for Zero Hour, about being a woman, which came out beautifully, and added much needed diversity to the piece. Involving Lola in my project made it feel a bit more real, and less of a piece that was self centered.
My other and larger collaboration this semester was with Zak Kline. He created an EP in the Pilot program and we teamed up to make a film piece to go along with it. Working on a project like this was very different from asking Lola to write a piece for my show, because there was a sense of creative give and take between Zak and I, were with Lola I asked for a poem and then she gave me a final product (which was exactly what I wanted, but the sense of communication that I had with Zak wasn’t there).
Both helped me tap into the sense of community within the Pilot program, which I have always felt, but never really drawn upon. I definitely enjoyed these experiences and want to work with more peer artists and collaborators in the future.
Over Extension
I pushed myself to my limits this semester, now I am reaping the benefits and suffering the bitter harvest.
I am over extended, and it sucks, I’m tired all the time, and can’t quite get everything done to the degree that I would like to.
It’s not that I can’t deal with days where I have very few breaks, because I totally can, most everything that I engage with I do because I genuinely enjoy it. I’m enthusiastic about nearly everything I do. The issue isn’t that my body suffers for being so busy, sure, I don’t get enough sleep, and I don’t have a great eating schedule, but these are thing that I don’t really mind, I can deal with them.
My biggest trouble with being busy to this degree is that I don't have the time to hash out the details of when I’ll be where with the people who that matters to. And that when I miss one rehearsal for something, because I’m doing something else, I fall behind in everything and can’t give all of it the attention it deserves, and often will feel like I’m letting down the larger group.
I am coping with this. I take intentional time to relax, and try to just do my work piece by piece, instead of trying to do it all at once.
I have taken steps to make sure that next year will not be like this. I’m taking less academic classes, and just in general will have a smaller work load, so I’ll be able to focus more on the work that I am creating.
Connections
Connections is a double entendre this quarter. On one hand it is about genuine connections between my work, and on the other it is the advent of having connections in the outside world.
This summer I have been invited to work at various camps (As a production intern with The Lion King at the Barre Opera House, as the assistant director and stage manager at Shakespeare in the Hill’s Hamlet, as a performer in a Piece by Isadora Snapp, and as a performer at Phantom Theater’s New works showcase) all of which is very exciting, and I am very much looking forward to it all. This goes along with being asked to do set design for Chad Hollister’s show at the beginning of the quarter, and everything else that people in the outside community ask me to engage in. It has made me aware of the fact that people want me to do the things that I am good at for them, which is a great feeling, and where I want to get with life.
In its other form, connections means that I have reached a point in my studies where they start to tie back to themselves. While doing new readings I’ll come across content and ideas that I have previously researched, this means that I have established a base of knowledge in the areas of art history that I have explored. Then the new research is building on that base to create a more expansive field of knowledge. This is very fulfilling and gratifying.
Since the end of quarter 3 these connections have increased. I have booked zero Hour at Phantom Theater, and been asked to join a team working on a touring production of King Lear next summer.
My studies have continued to feed into each other, and I’ve been enjoying a synthesis of learning in which I can apply almost anything in Pilot to other parts of Pilot.
A Final Thought
I do really well in the Pilot structure, but I need to rein myself in. I cannot do everything, as much as I would like to be able to. After this wave of commitments has passed I will be looking it all over and seeing where can make cuts to better my work over all.
Simply doing lots of work isn’t helpful, the work need to be considered and developed fully.
My best self is one that understands that it is ok to make mistakes, but does not use that as an excuse to do so. Just because mistakes aid growth doesn’t mean that I can give anything less than my best.
PROJECTS
Portfolio: http://nwmpilot.weebly.com/
King Lear
This semester I have continued to explore King Lear. I focused on creating cut of the script that was radically different from what I have done before. This was because King Lear is a very long play, and the approach I usually use (In which I create a new document with the entire script in it, and go through, combing away that materiel that I don’t want to be part of the story that I am telling with the show) was not working due to the length of the play.
Instead I took a new approach, inspired by playwright Charles Mee, who write modern or new interpretations of old works such as The Odyssey, and other classics. His writing style is very distinct, and one that I identify strongly with. So during a Thursday writing band I sat with a paper copy of King Lear, and an empty document, and simply began to type exactly what I wanted into it, taking artistic liberties, and creating a document that is considerably shorter than any cut I could create the traditional way.
I was disappointed with myself because over the course of the quarter I did not finish the new adaptation, due to lack of time, but early in quarter 4 this should happen, because I would like to have a third cut ready by the end of the year.
In addition to the work I did with the text, I read and watched media relating to King Lear. I watched 2 film adaptations, including a Jean-Luc Godard film which radically turned the story on it’s head and stands as an inspiration for the work I do with the play now. I also read an analyzation of the show accompanied by a few essays on the play.
In quarter 4 I completed my adaptation of King Lear, as well as read many of the essays from a book of critical essays on the play, as I outlined in my Quarter 3 narrative.
Other than that though I downsized how much work was done of this project. I continued to engage with Shakespeare through a bit of research on Hamlet, as I am working on a production this summer.
Zero Hour
I made process on Zero Hour this quarter. Mostly theoretically, design, and structure wise. It will have three parts: The Solo (which I worked on last semester), The Audience participation (which I am still developing), and The Political (which I am half done with). On top of this my Modern dance class will be performing our piece that we are working on on the same night.
This is exciting because it makes the night a little more professional, there are incredibly talented dancers coming to perform and it will probably bring some cool audience members as well. I’m a little worried that this piece will be incredible and put my pieces to shame, but who cares, because it’ll all be wonderful and worth it.
I’ve been working on writing the words for the political section of Zero Hour this semester and I’m still trying to figure out what to say. It’s a collaboration with Zak and Lola, so I do have a little bit more support than I did for my solo. It comes with a series of actions performed by me, and Zak reading the words that Lola and I have written, while he also improvises musically. It’s coming along, slowly but surely.
I finished and performed Zero Hour, and it was a great success. It continued to devolpe from where it was at in the end of quarter 3 into a fully realized piece. I was proud of my work, and all those in attendance seemed to enjoy it.
I have never before undertaken a project like Zero Hour, and it was incredibly fulfilling. Having such control over the trajectory of the piece aided in my feeling as though Zero Hour and the work I did on it is some of my absolute best work. While working on Pericles last year I had a script to draw from, and the main goal was removing the story from the page. With Zero Hour I could make it say exactly what I wanted it to instead of wrestling with the words of others to convey a message. That being said, my performance work and my theatrical work exist as separate beings, even if they are made out of the same ideas and theory.
Reflecting on the process of Zero Hour I realize just how lucky I was to be given so much time to revise and rework sections that weren’t working. I spent all of 3rd quarter trying to figure out how to write the second part, I tried to write it maybe 5 or 6 times before I finally had a breakthrough and was able to set all of it down in words. And at that point I had enough of an understanding of what I wanted the piece to say that I was only struggling with structure instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing.
In the end what I had planned on being a solo piece brought many people on board. It exemplifies that Pilot tennant:
“Learning may be independant, but it is not alone.”
I worked with Lola, Zak, Orlando, Amy, Tracy, the other Mod 6 dancers, Serenity, Izzy, Molly, and others to create a night that I am extremely proud of it. In addition to this I am working with Tracy to get Zero Hour a show at Phantom Theater over the summer.
Tempered Glass
Tempered Glass the Ep that Zak is creating this semester. Early on we decided that we wanted to make a sort of visual album to go along with it.
The process of doing so has been incredible. On top of being true collaboration, this project has allowed me to use all my lo-fi film skills to create work that I am proud of and that demonstrates understanding of how to use the tools I have to make artwork (that while being obviously made with no budget) that expresses ideas. The best example of this is the video that goes along with the third song on the EP. It consists of a single shot that is just one huge zoom. To do this I used an old camcorder that I own, because I know that it has incredible zoom power at the expense of pixel quality. In post production on the video I slowed the shot (which was about 45 seconds of zooming) to fill the song, and editing the colors and resolution so that I accentuated the blurriness of the footage. This made the fuzziness seem like an intentional choice instead of an inadequacy in the quality of my commitment.
Because my equipment isn’t ideal, I have made a concerted effort to make artistic choices within the film that stand on their own, and that demonstrate that I understand how to make film that is visually engaging while also saying something.
On top of this I have all my usual struggles with film, most specifically audio. In the first video I wanted it to seem more like a live performance, so I had Zak perform Alone live. When I started to edit the video it sounded terrible, so I edited the audio in an attempt to make it sound better. It didn’t. I let it sit like that for a week or two and then returned and did some creative editing so that it didn’t seem out of place when I used the original audio that will appear on the EP instead of the live recording.
I drew much inspiration from watching Visual albums from more established artists such as Beyonce, Florence + The Machine, and iamamiwhoami. They helped me grasp the telos of a Visual albums in that it adds a kind of narrative which aids the listener/viewer in grasping the meaning of the piece as a whole.
Working with Zak is good because we get along very well, and trust each other to make appropriate artistic decisions (although this mostly works in my favour). Luckily we haven’t run into much conflict within this project (although I guess there is still time to do so).
Manifesto
All year I have been trying to write a piece about my view of art and how it should be talked about or experienced. I did a bunch of pre work on the piece in semester 1, but stalled out on actually writing it for whatever reason.
In my meeting with Chris in early quarter 4, while we were discussing what I should have finished by the end of the year, he thought that writing a manifesto of some sort could be a good writing piece to round out my work. Originally the manifesto was going to be about King Lear, but I didn’t focus as much on King Lear as I was planning to in quarter 4.
So, when a burst of inspiration struck in the last weeks of the year I harnessed it into energy that I put into writing my Manifesto. It stands as an exploration of what my artistic beliefs are today (and I’m sure they will change and I will write many more Manifestos to reflect that).
I was particularly proud of the process that the piece went through to make it some of my best work. While the first draft was very inspired, the second, third and fourth drafts were much more about putting good work into it. The process of revision was pretty straight forward. The first and third drafts were edited by me, the second was edited by me and Chris, and the 4th was firmly edited by Chris. I haven’t had a ton of experience with good revision processes in the past few years, but this one was very gratifying, and I hope to do many more revisions of my work in the future.
String~Wing~Paper~BodyPiece
My installation at the spring art show was a room full of tulle, string, bodies, light, paper, and three very strong fans which made everything blow. In some ways it was perfect and in others it was not.
I created the piece as a kind of meditation for myself in human interaction and how we relate to each other and the work around us through social cues and contact. Before entering the room the audience was told that they we being considered performers and given a fairly strict (but very simple) set of rules to follow. They were also informed that by entering into the space they consented to being in physical contact with other humans.
My performance within the space involved a movement vocabulary of hand holding, hugging, and laying my head of the shoulders of others. I would perform these acts with audience members/performers as they explored the space.
Because I stated at the entrance of the piece I think I scared away many possible viewers, but that was ok with me because I was expecting on the best from my audience.
I was terribly disappointed. Around 80% of the audience actively rejected my contact when I initiated it. 10% accepted it, but were obviously very uncomfortable, and the last 10% accepted it totally.
I know that I can’t expect the audience to be perfect, but as I created a more ambitious piece I hoped that my audience would grow more ambitious and engaged with me.
SUBJECT AREAS
English
I am earning 1 english credit this year. It includes:
Writing
I have written a few things this semester. I am most proud of Manifesto (although this is influenced by the fact that it is what I worked on most recently) because of the revision process that I went through to get my best work. I am also very proud of Zero Hour Part 2, it stands as a work that should be read out loud, in its entirety, and is simultaneously an instructional artwork (like Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit).
I also created an adaptation of King Lear, using a different tactic than I have in the past.
Instead I took a new approach, inspired by playwright Charles Mee, who write modern or new interpretations of old works such as The Odyssey, and other classics. His writing style is very distinct, and one that I identify strongly with. So during a Thursday writing band I sat with a paper copy of King Lear, and an empty document, and simply began to type exactly what I wanted into it, taking artistic liberties, and creating a document that is considerably shorter than any cut I could create the traditional way.
The institution of a Thursday morning writing band did great things for me and has helped me become a bit more in touch with my writer self (although there is much more work that I wish to do before I graduate)
Listening
Working on a collaborative project, such as Tempered Glass, inspires great listening within the creative group you are working with. On top of this I was literally listening to music to inform and inspire the film.
There was a fair amount of highly engaging and intelligent discussion that went on when Zak and I had meetings about the project. Which requires a practice of highly engaged listening.Within conversation with Zak I needed to assess what the song was really about on a deep level, and learn how Zak wanted that represented in the film.
I feel as though this year I have really come to understand the true power of good communication as one of the most important things in life, without it we would all be lost.
Reading
I actively read three books this semester, along with some extra stuff along the way (mostly plays, and books about art theory, and artistic works.)
The first was Artificial Hells, by Claire Bishop. I have taken so much away from this book, and I have only actually made it through the first third. It is incredibly dense, wordy and is definitely above my reading level. I need to be 100% engaged in reading it to get through a section of any amount, and even the smallest distraction will throw me off immensely. Even then I would have to use my phone to define words or research people often. But all of this made reading the book incredibly rewarding, and ensured that I really got everything I could out of each chapter. I often find myself making connections to artworks which I read out in my experience of the world, and it has only helped open my mind to what exactly artwork is and can be.
The second book was a collection of essays written on King Lear. Again, a handful of them were above my level, but I am able to employ tools to work around that. I am developing my understanding of the mechanics of the play and how the literary world has reacted to it over time. I found it fascinating reading this book though, because the art of a critical essay on classical works in this form is a dying art. The age of the internet makes information and new essays like these completely accessible as they are written, making these books of critical essays grow obsolete.
As well as essays that were beyond me, there were a select few essays that surprised me in their form. One was a sonnet, and others took up only half a page. Like Artificial Hells has for art, this collection opened my eyes to what and essay actually is: an attempt to understand or explain a topic through writing. This was a revelation to me in many ways. Of course I knew that there are different types of essays (I did read The Brief Bedford Reader last year in an attempt to better my writing), but I had never fully understood the magnitude of the fact that an essay can take almost any form as long as it is in the pursuit of knowledge.
The third book was Drive by Daniel Pink, exploring the facets of motivation. It takes a very corporate, and managerial, approach to explaining everything, with specific niche vocabulary (type X, type I, incremental and entity theory, for example) most of which I forget soon after reading. However the ideas presented to go along with these terms do stick in my mind very well, and I have begun to notice motivational tendencies within myself and others since I began reading this (and this came directly from a conversation with Chris). It sheds light on how good informational writing works, it presents ideas, vocabulary, and anecdotes all of which support the same thing. The reader takes away what helps them learn best, be it the story or the vocabulary, and internalized that to truly learn from the writing.
Speaking
No good conversation is one sided. Within all by studies I have found people to talk with who are experts in some sense. I must be able to some extent match their intellect to engage in good, productive dialogues about what is being discussed. In meetings with Amy, Chris, Zak, and Erin, I have been developing speaking skills in effectively expressing my points, and responding with informed and intelligent thoughts.
The key is having a pre existing understanding of what you want to say in order to make a powerful point.
Art
I am earning 2 art credits this year. The work involved is:
Developing Craft and Performing, Presenting, Producing
If you look at all the work I have ever created it falls into three distinct categories: Film, Installation, and Performance. Although in recent times they have begun to overlap.
This year I have greatly improved in all these areas.
Tempered Glass is the most extensive piece of film I have ever created, and in which I have been able to use all the skills I’ve ever developed. From dealing with sound to editing creatively and effectively to applying my knowledge of my equipment, I have been able to do some of my best film work. (As a side note: I have also developed interviewing skills in this process, as part of the film Zak is interviewed, and I have needed to learn how to guide him to saying important, powerful things.)
My installation work has been moving forward continuously, and this semester it hit a new high. In String~Wind~Paper~BodyPiece, I utilized materials and space in ways that I have touched on before, but never to this extent. I also added an element of performance to the space which I have never done before, and begins to blur the edges between avant-garde theater and installation. When it comes down to it, art is all about communicating ideas in nontraditional ways, and often a multidisciplinary approach is the most effective way to do so.
Zero Hour was an incredible experience. It has changed the way I perceive theater and performance alike, helped me become more in touch with myself and my work. I struggle to talk about it because I do not know where to start. I feel like I have created a piece that was just so beyond what I thought that I could.
While creating Zero Hour I utilized all my technical theater skills. There was sound that needed to be played right, complicated projections, special light setups. And on top of that I knew every moment of the whole show. It was me at the peak of my craft.
Connecting
My work is strongly influenced by that of artists whose work I enjoy. Miguel Gutierrez, Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Vicki Bennett, Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk. All these artist’s works influence my own. In Vicki Bennett’s No One Is An Island she explores the power of ideas, how they are passed between people, and whether or not new ideas exist.
I feel as though this is represented in my work I draw on ideas that I have seen others work with, and explore them myself, in my own ways. I draw parallel lines between my work and the work of those I look up to, and compare their work to that of each other.
Everything that I do within the Pilot program feeds back into itself and the rest of my work. Connections are everywhere.
I remember one point while reading Artificial Hells where I had just seen a work by an artist being talked about on a trip into New York, and then a few lines later reading a reference to Viennese Actionism, an artistic movement that I explored some earlier this year.
Responding
I have done a fair amount of responding to artworks during conversation with my peers and with Amy. Although, for the most part I do not document this,
Most notably was the field trip to Mass Moca, upon entering the museum I realized that I did want to find some way to document my experience of the space, so I put my phone in my front pocket and began a voice memo which I left recording for the entirety of the visit.
With me I brought a booklet on responding to art, which I have used to structure things such as the Zero Hour response and art responses I have done in the past.
The middle section of Zero Hour was a guided response that I had the audience perform and record. This helped me identify what responding to art really consists of and has aided me in my own responding, through understanding what I like to hear from others.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
Effective and Expressive Communication
Engaged Citizenship
Working Independently and Collaboratively
Informed, Integrated, and Critical Thinking
Self Awareness and Self Direction
INDEPENDENT LEARNING SKILLS
Perseverance
I have a hard time recognising a lot of learning obstacles at this point, because I’ve gotten very good at dealing with them. That being said, I still face obstacles, my biggest one right now is being over booked and over busy. I’ve got to slog through the communication that missing rehearsals needs, and come up with solutions of how I’ll make up that time. Mostly dealing with it though just involves doing things bit by bit.
The biggest non learning obstacle I’ve faced this year has been myself. I’ve had a really hard 2nd semester, and have been pretty down. This resulted in my not getting as much done as I would like to. But again, my solution has been just showing up and doing work, no matter how slowly I more, or how bad I feel.
Inquiry
The 3rd quarter is traditionally in my Pilot experience a time for new inquiry. I began a few new projects, most notably Tempered Glass, and did the appropriate research to go along with them.
4th Quarter however, is much more a time for doing, and finishing all the work for the end of the year. Of course I am inquisitive, but I am focusing on work that I have already set for myself.
Time Management
You can’t be as busy as I am without being having good time management skills. I have to stay on top of everything, or specifically have time budgeted in the future to be catching up. In regards to time management I would like to specifically talk about the time that I plan to not be working. I think that is is paramount to have down time and enough time to sleep everyday, of course there are some days where having a ton of down time, or getting a full night’s sleep, isn’t possible but for a fair amount of the time it is. The main tactic I use for doing this is trying to bring as little work home as possible. Simple homework assignments and such I try to get done at school, so I don’t have to worry about getting it done at home.
Accountability
I have not missed one meeting this year, save for ones that I rescheduled ahead of time. I respond to most emails promptly, and with the necessary information. An indicator for my accountability is that people ask me to do things, like make short films, or help with events.
My biggest failure here was my lack of Blogging this semester. For whatever reason it hasn’t been working for me. From having a busy schedule to a change in the expectations of blogging, I made a bunch of excuses and just ended up not doing much blogging. I’ve very disappointed in myself on this front. Because I understand the virtues of blogging, even if I’m not feeling like it’s helping me right now.
Demonstration
My documentation skills have improved greatly over the course of this year, I take videos and photos of my work regularly, as well as making recordings of conversations and meetings. I can talk at length about all the things that I am studying. I have documentation of performances, mostly in the form of video, or as brief reflection on my blog. I also have final products from the more physical arts that I engage with.
Self Advocacy
I ask for help. Lots.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bishop, Claire. Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. Place of Publication Not Identified: Verso, 2014. Print.
CÌapek, Karel, Paul Selver, and Nigel Playfair. R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue. New York: Samuel French, 1923. Print.
"Charles Mee." Charles Mee | the (re)making Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Dear Pina. Dir. Lucas Huffman. Hannah Dennison, 2013. DVD.
Gutierrez, Miguel. When We Rise Up: Performance Texts. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Heart of a Dog. Perf. Laurie Anderson. N.p., n.d. Web.
"HOME : Miguel Gutierrez." HOME : Miguel Gutierrez. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron, and Ellen Kuhl. Repetto. The Brief Bedford Reader. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. Print.
Kin. Perf. Iamamiwhoami. N.p., n.d. Web.
Lam, Thien. Audience as Subject:. San Francisco, CA: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 2012. Print.
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Melbourne: Scribe, 2009. Print.
LeCoq, Jacques, Jean-Gabriel Carasso, Jean-Claude Lallias, and David Bradby. The Moving Body: Teaching Creative Theatre. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2014. Print.
Lemonade. Dir. Kahlil Joseph and Beyonce Knowles. Perf. Beyonce. N.p., n.d. Web.
The Maids. La Mama, New York City. 18 Mar. 2017. Performance.
Martin, Jane. What Mama Don't Know: Five Plays. New York: Samuel French, 1988. Print.
Muir, Kenneth. King Lear: Critical Essays. New York: Garland Pub., 1984. Print.
The Odyessy. Dir. Vincent Haycock. Perf. Florence Welch. N.p., n.d. Web.
Schuettinger, Robert. Shakespeare's King Lear. New York: Monarch, 1966. Print.
The Skin of Our Teeth. Theater for a New Audience, New York City. 18 Feb. 2017. Performance.
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. London: Faber & Faber, 2017. Print.
Tate Art Talk. Jaques Ranciere in Conversation with Clair Bishop. Rec. 25 July 2013. 2013. Podcast. Web.
Wilder, Thornton. The Skin of Our Teeth: A Play. New York: Perennial, 2008. Print.
Yen. Lucille Lortel Theater, New York City. 18 Feb. 2017. Performance.
Amy Koenigbauer
Chris Blackburn
Erin Galligan-Baldwin
Tracy Martin
Zak Kline
Lola Bennett
Pilot Narrative
Semester 2
Exhibition Date: 06.13.17
There is nowhere that I can imagine that would serve me as well as Pilot does, here I am given freedom, structure, and power to shape my world into something that I care about.
This semester, more than ever before, I have been aware of my own learning, what motivates me to do so, and how I work best. Through this I have grown to make better work, be more aware of the space that I take up, and understand how to be my best self.
Some themes from this semester:
Inspiration
In the final weeks of this year I wrote a Manifesto. It drew upon ideas and concepts that I have been dealing with throughout my Pilot career, and have often tried to write about. But every time I have attempted this I have stalled out soon after.
On the Pilot whiteboard a quote was written and has stayed for a considerable time:
“Inspiration is for amateurs- the rest of us just show up and get to work.”
-Chuck Close
I’ve been looking at this quote for some time, and about half the time I agree with it, and the other half I don’t.
One should not rely solely on inspiration to get through anything. But inspiration is a joyful thing, and the surge of creativity and energy that comes with it can be a very powerful force if understood and harnessed.
Back to my Manifesto: Without the burst of inspiration that I had the day that I wrote the first draft, I never would have identified it as an idea worth pursuing any longer. I had tried and failed this year already, and ws running short on time. But because I sat down one day and realized that I really wanted to write it right in that moment, and allowed myself to be taken by that inspiration, I started something that I believe to be some of my best writing this year.
Inspiration can be an incredibly helpful thing. But it does not make you do things that you do not want to do. Which is why showing up and getting to work is just as important.
Revision
The next steps I took with my Manifesto were simple and swift. I looked at the page that I wrote in my fit of inspiration and decided that I was going to do the work to make it my best. Luckily my english meeting with Chris was supposed to be the next day, so I brought it up there and we talked about what steps I could take to improve upon it.
I continued to ride the adrenaline of being inspired through writing the second draft of the piece. I then went to Chris again and we had another meeting with the specific goal of working the Manifesto. Chris gave notes and we talked about the purpose of the piece. I revised again.
Then I got to thinking about how I wished that I could do this kind of work with a piece of artwork. Because wouldn't it be great if I could make something exponentially better (like my Manifesto) by talking about it any analyzing it critically.
Of course I have been doing this all year long, but most of my revision of my artwork happens in my internal dialogue with myself. But it was outwardly demonstrated in my work on Zero Hour, which grew starting from the first days of this year.
Amy and I did very similar work on Zero Hour to that that Chris and I did on the Manifesto.
Revision is a powerful process, and I understand now just how much better it makes my work. I hope to revise and workshop pieces more intentionally in the future.
Collaboration
Collaboration with other Pilot students has been a driving force throughout this semester for me.
I asked Lola Bennett to write a piece for Zero Hour, about being a woman, which came out beautifully, and added much needed diversity to the piece. Involving Lola in my project made it feel a bit more real, and less of a piece that was self centered.
My other and larger collaboration this semester was with Zak Kline. He created an EP in the Pilot program and we teamed up to make a film piece to go along with it. Working on a project like this was very different from asking Lola to write a piece for my show, because there was a sense of creative give and take between Zak and I, were with Lola I asked for a poem and then she gave me a final product (which was exactly what I wanted, but the sense of communication that I had with Zak wasn’t there).
Both helped me tap into the sense of community within the Pilot program, which I have always felt, but never really drawn upon. I definitely enjoyed these experiences and want to work with more peer artists and collaborators in the future.
Over Extension
I pushed myself to my limits this semester, now I am reaping the benefits and suffering the bitter harvest.
I am over extended, and it sucks, I’m tired all the time, and can’t quite get everything done to the degree that I would like to.
It’s not that I can’t deal with days where I have very few breaks, because I totally can, most everything that I engage with I do because I genuinely enjoy it. I’m enthusiastic about nearly everything I do. The issue isn’t that my body suffers for being so busy, sure, I don’t get enough sleep, and I don’t have a great eating schedule, but these are thing that I don’t really mind, I can deal with them.
My biggest trouble with being busy to this degree is that I don't have the time to hash out the details of when I’ll be where with the people who that matters to. And that when I miss one rehearsal for something, because I’m doing something else, I fall behind in everything and can’t give all of it the attention it deserves, and often will feel like I’m letting down the larger group.
I am coping with this. I take intentional time to relax, and try to just do my work piece by piece, instead of trying to do it all at once.
I have taken steps to make sure that next year will not be like this. I’m taking less academic classes, and just in general will have a smaller work load, so I’ll be able to focus more on the work that I am creating.
Connections
Connections is a double entendre this quarter. On one hand it is about genuine connections between my work, and on the other it is the advent of having connections in the outside world.
This summer I have been invited to work at various camps (As a production intern with The Lion King at the Barre Opera House, as the assistant director and stage manager at Shakespeare in the Hill’s Hamlet, as a performer in a Piece by Isadora Snapp, and as a performer at Phantom Theater’s New works showcase) all of which is very exciting, and I am very much looking forward to it all. This goes along with being asked to do set design for Chad Hollister’s show at the beginning of the quarter, and everything else that people in the outside community ask me to engage in. It has made me aware of the fact that people want me to do the things that I am good at for them, which is a great feeling, and where I want to get with life.
In its other form, connections means that I have reached a point in my studies where they start to tie back to themselves. While doing new readings I’ll come across content and ideas that I have previously researched, this means that I have established a base of knowledge in the areas of art history that I have explored. Then the new research is building on that base to create a more expansive field of knowledge. This is very fulfilling and gratifying.
Since the end of quarter 3 these connections have increased. I have booked zero Hour at Phantom Theater, and been asked to join a team working on a touring production of King Lear next summer.
My studies have continued to feed into each other, and I’ve been enjoying a synthesis of learning in which I can apply almost anything in Pilot to other parts of Pilot.
A Final Thought
I do really well in the Pilot structure, but I need to rein myself in. I cannot do everything, as much as I would like to be able to. After this wave of commitments has passed I will be looking it all over and seeing where can make cuts to better my work over all.
Simply doing lots of work isn’t helpful, the work need to be considered and developed fully.
My best self is one that understands that it is ok to make mistakes, but does not use that as an excuse to do so. Just because mistakes aid growth doesn’t mean that I can give anything less than my best.
PROJECTS
Portfolio: http://nwmpilot.weebly.com/
King Lear
This semester I have continued to explore King Lear. I focused on creating cut of the script that was radically different from what I have done before. This was because King Lear is a very long play, and the approach I usually use (In which I create a new document with the entire script in it, and go through, combing away that materiel that I don’t want to be part of the story that I am telling with the show) was not working due to the length of the play.
Instead I took a new approach, inspired by playwright Charles Mee, who write modern or new interpretations of old works such as The Odyssey, and other classics. His writing style is very distinct, and one that I identify strongly with. So during a Thursday writing band I sat with a paper copy of King Lear, and an empty document, and simply began to type exactly what I wanted into it, taking artistic liberties, and creating a document that is considerably shorter than any cut I could create the traditional way.
I was disappointed with myself because over the course of the quarter I did not finish the new adaptation, due to lack of time, but early in quarter 4 this should happen, because I would like to have a third cut ready by the end of the year.
In addition to the work I did with the text, I read and watched media relating to King Lear. I watched 2 film adaptations, including a Jean-Luc Godard film which radically turned the story on it’s head and stands as an inspiration for the work I do with the play now. I also read an analyzation of the show accompanied by a few essays on the play.
In quarter 4 I completed my adaptation of King Lear, as well as read many of the essays from a book of critical essays on the play, as I outlined in my Quarter 3 narrative.
Other than that though I downsized how much work was done of this project. I continued to engage with Shakespeare through a bit of research on Hamlet, as I am working on a production this summer.
Zero Hour
I made process on Zero Hour this quarter. Mostly theoretically, design, and structure wise. It will have three parts: The Solo (which I worked on last semester), The Audience participation (which I am still developing), and The Political (which I am half done with). On top of this my Modern dance class will be performing our piece that we are working on on the same night.
This is exciting because it makes the night a little more professional, there are incredibly talented dancers coming to perform and it will probably bring some cool audience members as well. I’m a little worried that this piece will be incredible and put my pieces to shame, but who cares, because it’ll all be wonderful and worth it.
I’ve been working on writing the words for the political section of Zero Hour this semester and I’m still trying to figure out what to say. It’s a collaboration with Zak and Lola, so I do have a little bit more support than I did for my solo. It comes with a series of actions performed by me, and Zak reading the words that Lola and I have written, while he also improvises musically. It’s coming along, slowly but surely.
I finished and performed Zero Hour, and it was a great success. It continued to devolpe from where it was at in the end of quarter 3 into a fully realized piece. I was proud of my work, and all those in attendance seemed to enjoy it.
I have never before undertaken a project like Zero Hour, and it was incredibly fulfilling. Having such control over the trajectory of the piece aided in my feeling as though Zero Hour and the work I did on it is some of my absolute best work. While working on Pericles last year I had a script to draw from, and the main goal was removing the story from the page. With Zero Hour I could make it say exactly what I wanted it to instead of wrestling with the words of others to convey a message. That being said, my performance work and my theatrical work exist as separate beings, even if they are made out of the same ideas and theory.
Reflecting on the process of Zero Hour I realize just how lucky I was to be given so much time to revise and rework sections that weren’t working. I spent all of 3rd quarter trying to figure out how to write the second part, I tried to write it maybe 5 or 6 times before I finally had a breakthrough and was able to set all of it down in words. And at that point I had enough of an understanding of what I wanted the piece to say that I was only struggling with structure instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing.
In the end what I had planned on being a solo piece brought many people on board. It exemplifies that Pilot tennant:
“Learning may be independant, but it is not alone.”
I worked with Lola, Zak, Orlando, Amy, Tracy, the other Mod 6 dancers, Serenity, Izzy, Molly, and others to create a night that I am extremely proud of it. In addition to this I am working with Tracy to get Zero Hour a show at Phantom Theater over the summer.
Tempered Glass
Tempered Glass the Ep that Zak is creating this semester. Early on we decided that we wanted to make a sort of visual album to go along with it.
The process of doing so has been incredible. On top of being true collaboration, this project has allowed me to use all my lo-fi film skills to create work that I am proud of and that demonstrates understanding of how to use the tools I have to make artwork (that while being obviously made with no budget) that expresses ideas. The best example of this is the video that goes along with the third song on the EP. It consists of a single shot that is just one huge zoom. To do this I used an old camcorder that I own, because I know that it has incredible zoom power at the expense of pixel quality. In post production on the video I slowed the shot (which was about 45 seconds of zooming) to fill the song, and editing the colors and resolution so that I accentuated the blurriness of the footage. This made the fuzziness seem like an intentional choice instead of an inadequacy in the quality of my commitment.
Because my equipment isn’t ideal, I have made a concerted effort to make artistic choices within the film that stand on their own, and that demonstrate that I understand how to make film that is visually engaging while also saying something.
On top of this I have all my usual struggles with film, most specifically audio. In the first video I wanted it to seem more like a live performance, so I had Zak perform Alone live. When I started to edit the video it sounded terrible, so I edited the audio in an attempt to make it sound better. It didn’t. I let it sit like that for a week or two and then returned and did some creative editing so that it didn’t seem out of place when I used the original audio that will appear on the EP instead of the live recording.
I drew much inspiration from watching Visual albums from more established artists such as Beyonce, Florence + The Machine, and iamamiwhoami. They helped me grasp the telos of a Visual albums in that it adds a kind of narrative which aids the listener/viewer in grasping the meaning of the piece as a whole.
Working with Zak is good because we get along very well, and trust each other to make appropriate artistic decisions (although this mostly works in my favour). Luckily we haven’t run into much conflict within this project (although I guess there is still time to do so).
Manifesto
All year I have been trying to write a piece about my view of art and how it should be talked about or experienced. I did a bunch of pre work on the piece in semester 1, but stalled out on actually writing it for whatever reason.
In my meeting with Chris in early quarter 4, while we were discussing what I should have finished by the end of the year, he thought that writing a manifesto of some sort could be a good writing piece to round out my work. Originally the manifesto was going to be about King Lear, but I didn’t focus as much on King Lear as I was planning to in quarter 4.
So, when a burst of inspiration struck in the last weeks of the year I harnessed it into energy that I put into writing my Manifesto. It stands as an exploration of what my artistic beliefs are today (and I’m sure they will change and I will write many more Manifestos to reflect that).
I was particularly proud of the process that the piece went through to make it some of my best work. While the first draft was very inspired, the second, third and fourth drafts were much more about putting good work into it. The process of revision was pretty straight forward. The first and third drafts were edited by me, the second was edited by me and Chris, and the 4th was firmly edited by Chris. I haven’t had a ton of experience with good revision processes in the past few years, but this one was very gratifying, and I hope to do many more revisions of my work in the future.
String~Wing~Paper~BodyPiece
My installation at the spring art show was a room full of tulle, string, bodies, light, paper, and three very strong fans which made everything blow. In some ways it was perfect and in others it was not.
I created the piece as a kind of meditation for myself in human interaction and how we relate to each other and the work around us through social cues and contact. Before entering the room the audience was told that they we being considered performers and given a fairly strict (but very simple) set of rules to follow. They were also informed that by entering into the space they consented to being in physical contact with other humans.
My performance within the space involved a movement vocabulary of hand holding, hugging, and laying my head of the shoulders of others. I would perform these acts with audience members/performers as they explored the space.
Because I stated at the entrance of the piece I think I scared away many possible viewers, but that was ok with me because I was expecting on the best from my audience.
I was terribly disappointed. Around 80% of the audience actively rejected my contact when I initiated it. 10% accepted it, but were obviously very uncomfortable, and the last 10% accepted it totally.
I know that I can’t expect the audience to be perfect, but as I created a more ambitious piece I hoped that my audience would grow more ambitious and engaged with me.
SUBJECT AREAS
English
I am earning 1 english credit this year. It includes:
- King Lear
- Manifesto
- Zero Hour Part 2
- Tempered Glass
- Wiring Group
Writing
I have written a few things this semester. I am most proud of Manifesto (although this is influenced by the fact that it is what I worked on most recently) because of the revision process that I went through to get my best work. I am also very proud of Zero Hour Part 2, it stands as a work that should be read out loud, in its entirety, and is simultaneously an instructional artwork (like Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit).
I also created an adaptation of King Lear, using a different tactic than I have in the past.
Instead I took a new approach, inspired by playwright Charles Mee, who write modern or new interpretations of old works such as The Odyssey, and other classics. His writing style is very distinct, and one that I identify strongly with. So during a Thursday writing band I sat with a paper copy of King Lear, and an empty document, and simply began to type exactly what I wanted into it, taking artistic liberties, and creating a document that is considerably shorter than any cut I could create the traditional way.
The institution of a Thursday morning writing band did great things for me and has helped me become a bit more in touch with my writer self (although there is much more work that I wish to do before I graduate)
Listening
Working on a collaborative project, such as Tempered Glass, inspires great listening within the creative group you are working with. On top of this I was literally listening to music to inform and inspire the film.
There was a fair amount of highly engaging and intelligent discussion that went on when Zak and I had meetings about the project. Which requires a practice of highly engaged listening.Within conversation with Zak I needed to assess what the song was really about on a deep level, and learn how Zak wanted that represented in the film.
I feel as though this year I have really come to understand the true power of good communication as one of the most important things in life, without it we would all be lost.
Reading
I actively read three books this semester, along with some extra stuff along the way (mostly plays, and books about art theory, and artistic works.)
The first was Artificial Hells, by Claire Bishop. I have taken so much away from this book, and I have only actually made it through the first third. It is incredibly dense, wordy and is definitely above my reading level. I need to be 100% engaged in reading it to get through a section of any amount, and even the smallest distraction will throw me off immensely. Even then I would have to use my phone to define words or research people often. But all of this made reading the book incredibly rewarding, and ensured that I really got everything I could out of each chapter. I often find myself making connections to artworks which I read out in my experience of the world, and it has only helped open my mind to what exactly artwork is and can be.
The second book was a collection of essays written on King Lear. Again, a handful of them were above my level, but I am able to employ tools to work around that. I am developing my understanding of the mechanics of the play and how the literary world has reacted to it over time. I found it fascinating reading this book though, because the art of a critical essay on classical works in this form is a dying art. The age of the internet makes information and new essays like these completely accessible as they are written, making these books of critical essays grow obsolete.
As well as essays that were beyond me, there were a select few essays that surprised me in their form. One was a sonnet, and others took up only half a page. Like Artificial Hells has for art, this collection opened my eyes to what and essay actually is: an attempt to understand or explain a topic through writing. This was a revelation to me in many ways. Of course I knew that there are different types of essays (I did read The Brief Bedford Reader last year in an attempt to better my writing), but I had never fully understood the magnitude of the fact that an essay can take almost any form as long as it is in the pursuit of knowledge.
The third book was Drive by Daniel Pink, exploring the facets of motivation. It takes a very corporate, and managerial, approach to explaining everything, with specific niche vocabulary (type X, type I, incremental and entity theory, for example) most of which I forget soon after reading. However the ideas presented to go along with these terms do stick in my mind very well, and I have begun to notice motivational tendencies within myself and others since I began reading this (and this came directly from a conversation with Chris). It sheds light on how good informational writing works, it presents ideas, vocabulary, and anecdotes all of which support the same thing. The reader takes away what helps them learn best, be it the story or the vocabulary, and internalized that to truly learn from the writing.
Speaking
No good conversation is one sided. Within all by studies I have found people to talk with who are experts in some sense. I must be able to some extent match their intellect to engage in good, productive dialogues about what is being discussed. In meetings with Amy, Chris, Zak, and Erin, I have been developing speaking skills in effectively expressing my points, and responding with informed and intelligent thoughts.
The key is having a pre existing understanding of what you want to say in order to make a powerful point.
Art
I am earning 2 art credits this year. The work involved is:
- Zero Hour
- Manifesto
- String~Wind~Paper~BodyPiece
- Tempered Glass
- King Lear
Developing Craft and Performing, Presenting, Producing
If you look at all the work I have ever created it falls into three distinct categories: Film, Installation, and Performance. Although in recent times they have begun to overlap.
This year I have greatly improved in all these areas.
Tempered Glass is the most extensive piece of film I have ever created, and in which I have been able to use all the skills I’ve ever developed. From dealing with sound to editing creatively and effectively to applying my knowledge of my equipment, I have been able to do some of my best film work. (As a side note: I have also developed interviewing skills in this process, as part of the film Zak is interviewed, and I have needed to learn how to guide him to saying important, powerful things.)
My installation work has been moving forward continuously, and this semester it hit a new high. In String~Wind~Paper~BodyPiece, I utilized materials and space in ways that I have touched on before, but never to this extent. I also added an element of performance to the space which I have never done before, and begins to blur the edges between avant-garde theater and installation. When it comes down to it, art is all about communicating ideas in nontraditional ways, and often a multidisciplinary approach is the most effective way to do so.
Zero Hour was an incredible experience. It has changed the way I perceive theater and performance alike, helped me become more in touch with myself and my work. I struggle to talk about it because I do not know where to start. I feel like I have created a piece that was just so beyond what I thought that I could.
While creating Zero Hour I utilized all my technical theater skills. There was sound that needed to be played right, complicated projections, special light setups. And on top of that I knew every moment of the whole show. It was me at the peak of my craft.
Connecting
My work is strongly influenced by that of artists whose work I enjoy. Miguel Gutierrez, Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Vicki Bennett, Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk. All these artist’s works influence my own. In Vicki Bennett’s No One Is An Island she explores the power of ideas, how they are passed between people, and whether or not new ideas exist.
I feel as though this is represented in my work I draw on ideas that I have seen others work with, and explore them myself, in my own ways. I draw parallel lines between my work and the work of those I look up to, and compare their work to that of each other.
Everything that I do within the Pilot program feeds back into itself and the rest of my work. Connections are everywhere.
I remember one point while reading Artificial Hells where I had just seen a work by an artist being talked about on a trip into New York, and then a few lines later reading a reference to Viennese Actionism, an artistic movement that I explored some earlier this year.
Responding
I have done a fair amount of responding to artworks during conversation with my peers and with Amy. Although, for the most part I do not document this,
Most notably was the field trip to Mass Moca, upon entering the museum I realized that I did want to find some way to document my experience of the space, so I put my phone in my front pocket and began a voice memo which I left recording for the entirety of the visit.
With me I brought a booklet on responding to art, which I have used to structure things such as the Zero Hour response and art responses I have done in the past.
The middle section of Zero Hour was a guided response that I had the audience perform and record. This helped me identify what responding to art really consists of and has aided me in my own responding, through understanding what I like to hear from others.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
- The institution of a writing band each week.
- The incorporation of Modern 5 into Zero Hour.
- Zero Hour Projections
- Days Like These Video
Effective and Expressive Communication
- Zero Hour Part 2
- Writing Group
- Manifesto
- King Lear Adaptation
Engaged Citizenship
- Writing Group
- Collaboration with other Pilot Students
- Keeping the Pilot room clean
Working Independently and Collaboratively
- Zero Hour
- Tempered Glass
- Writing Group
Informed, Integrated, and Critical Thinking
- Manifesto
- Tempered Glass
- Conversations on Art
Self Awareness and Self Direction
- Being in the Pilot Program (and meeting my goals)
- Knowing when I need to go to sleep
- Zero Hour
INDEPENDENT LEARNING SKILLS
Perseverance
I have a hard time recognising a lot of learning obstacles at this point, because I’ve gotten very good at dealing with them. That being said, I still face obstacles, my biggest one right now is being over booked and over busy. I’ve got to slog through the communication that missing rehearsals needs, and come up with solutions of how I’ll make up that time. Mostly dealing with it though just involves doing things bit by bit.
The biggest non learning obstacle I’ve faced this year has been myself. I’ve had a really hard 2nd semester, and have been pretty down. This resulted in my not getting as much done as I would like to. But again, my solution has been just showing up and doing work, no matter how slowly I more, or how bad I feel.
Inquiry
The 3rd quarter is traditionally in my Pilot experience a time for new inquiry. I began a few new projects, most notably Tempered Glass, and did the appropriate research to go along with them.
4th Quarter however, is much more a time for doing, and finishing all the work for the end of the year. Of course I am inquisitive, but I am focusing on work that I have already set for myself.
Time Management
You can’t be as busy as I am without being having good time management skills. I have to stay on top of everything, or specifically have time budgeted in the future to be catching up. In regards to time management I would like to specifically talk about the time that I plan to not be working. I think that is is paramount to have down time and enough time to sleep everyday, of course there are some days where having a ton of down time, or getting a full night’s sleep, isn’t possible but for a fair amount of the time it is. The main tactic I use for doing this is trying to bring as little work home as possible. Simple homework assignments and such I try to get done at school, so I don’t have to worry about getting it done at home.
Accountability
I have not missed one meeting this year, save for ones that I rescheduled ahead of time. I respond to most emails promptly, and with the necessary information. An indicator for my accountability is that people ask me to do things, like make short films, or help with events.
My biggest failure here was my lack of Blogging this semester. For whatever reason it hasn’t been working for me. From having a busy schedule to a change in the expectations of blogging, I made a bunch of excuses and just ended up not doing much blogging. I’ve very disappointed in myself on this front. Because I understand the virtues of blogging, even if I’m not feeling like it’s helping me right now.
Demonstration
My documentation skills have improved greatly over the course of this year, I take videos and photos of my work regularly, as well as making recordings of conversations and meetings. I can talk at length about all the things that I am studying. I have documentation of performances, mostly in the form of video, or as brief reflection on my blog. I also have final products from the more physical arts that I engage with.
Self Advocacy
I ask for help. Lots.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bishop, Claire. Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. Place of Publication Not Identified: Verso, 2014. Print.
CÌapek, Karel, Paul Selver, and Nigel Playfair. R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue. New York: Samuel French, 1923. Print.
"Charles Mee." Charles Mee | the (re)making Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Dear Pina. Dir. Lucas Huffman. Hannah Dennison, 2013. DVD.
Gutierrez, Miguel. When We Rise Up: Performance Texts. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Heart of a Dog. Perf. Laurie Anderson. N.p., n.d. Web.
"HOME : Miguel Gutierrez." HOME : Miguel Gutierrez. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron, and Ellen Kuhl. Repetto. The Brief Bedford Reader. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. Print.
Kin. Perf. Iamamiwhoami. N.p., n.d. Web.
Lam, Thien. Audience as Subject:. San Francisco, CA: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 2012. Print.
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Melbourne: Scribe, 2009. Print.
LeCoq, Jacques, Jean-Gabriel Carasso, Jean-Claude Lallias, and David Bradby. The Moving Body: Teaching Creative Theatre. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2014. Print.
Lemonade. Dir. Kahlil Joseph and Beyonce Knowles. Perf. Beyonce. N.p., n.d. Web.
The Maids. La Mama, New York City. 18 Mar. 2017. Performance.
Martin, Jane. What Mama Don't Know: Five Plays. New York: Samuel French, 1988. Print.
Muir, Kenneth. King Lear: Critical Essays. New York: Garland Pub., 1984. Print.
The Odyessy. Dir. Vincent Haycock. Perf. Florence Welch. N.p., n.d. Web.
Schuettinger, Robert. Shakespeare's King Lear. New York: Monarch, 1966. Print.
The Skin of Our Teeth. Theater for a New Audience, New York City. 18 Feb. 2017. Performance.
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. London: Faber & Faber, 2017. Print.
Tate Art Talk. Jaques Ranciere in Conversation with Clair Bishop. Rec. 25 July 2013. 2013. Podcast. Web.
Wilder, Thornton. The Skin of Our Teeth: A Play. New York: Perennial, 2008. Print.
Yen. Lucille Lortel Theater, New York City. 18 Feb. 2017. Performance.
Amy Koenigbauer
Chris Blackburn
Erin Galligan-Baldwin
Tracy Martin
Zak Kline
Lola Bennett