A few Fridays ago, I went to Hub 14 to see Chad Dembski and Cathy Gordon’s Hammer OK/OK/OK. Both were vulnerable and generous, honest and raw. Both Chad and Cathy are great performers, artists who have a wealth of experience and skills at being vulnerable and generous, honest and raw. They have the internal dramaturgy to charm without changing who they are in front of us. They are able to be in the same room as their guests in a way that is impossible to teach except through repetition.
The Intimate, Research, Community and a Populism I can stand behind
And I was reminded of the beauty and importance of the intimate. I’ve been thinking about my practice in 4 categories: The Intimate, Research, Community and a Populism ICSB. The state of the world and of my life and work, means I’ve been talking and thinking a lot about the Populism end. The truth is that the Intimate may be my home base.
In a city inundated with showcase festivals full of works hoping to be something else, to be picked up by someone else, the show was an experience that was more meaningful to me than anything I’ve seen in the past year. I am unable to know what the show would be like to the curious stranger[1] – and I don’t care. If the show never goes further than the 2 nights at Hub 14 for the family and friends who gathered – it will be no less of a success.
There is nothing very alienating to what Chad and Cathy are doing but there’s some stories that are funnier/more meaningful if you know Cathy and Chad and if know who DNA Theatre is and you know the story of Chad’s show at Studio 303. All this is true and might reduce the impact on the stranger, but it increased the impact on me, the friend.
And I’m glad of that. An important reminder.
- The fictional character I think a lot about. ↩