AN IDEA

For some reason, we seem to have our best ideas in bed - early morning or late at night. This is probably because it is a time when the arguing and romance is over, and we are plain just to be ourselves, to talk openly about ideas. Last night, we discussed ideas that really excited us.

We were discussing the idea of  live performance vs. video, and the possibility of combining the two. I voiced an idea of a using them both at once, but with the same actions. For example, if we explored the route of definitions and synonyms of love, we could have 10 action based tasks, film us doing them and set it to loop. We would then perform the actions live, using props/signs etc used in the video, in front of the projection. To begin with we would be in sync, but as the repetitions went on, we would spiral out of control, become out of sync and amount to chaos. Some of the actions could be accompanied by recorded speech that we would mime in the performance, but as we go out of sync with the video, our mouthing would be out of time. This would show a real life couple desperately trying to keep up with the stereotypical actions of a relationship.

From this idea, George formed further ideas exploring the video/performance dynamic. He talked about the idea of multiple television screens, as opposed to projection. This led to an idea of his to create a performance out of attempting to get up to forty television screens to play the same clip in sync. It would be a durational piece.

We both agreed we enjoyed the aesthetic of multiple television screens! And although this is an interesting idea for a piece, we do not love it, and it does not suit what we have been working towards so far.

So working with the original idea of onscreen/off-screen action based tasks performed slowly escaping sync, George expanded the idea of using definitions. We could explore PATHWAYS, not just synonyms. For example, all series of actions would begin with LOVE, then another synonym, then another two synonyms following each other. We do about four pathways.

We are excited! We just need to get into a space and start devising actions around synonyms, definitions and pathways. Right now our minds are open to all possibility of actions (dance, mime, monologue, signs, costumes). Let's start playing!