What: The Artist’s Art
Where: The St. Lou Fringe Festival
When: Friday, June 22, 10 PM; Saturday, June 23, 7 PM; Sunday, June 24, 2:30 PM
The Artist’s Art is really two experiences in one. For the first twenty minutes, you’re invited to create some art of your own. You can draw on the paper tablecloths covering the tales in the Kranzberg Center’s cabaret space, you can make something with modeling clay in the construction area in the center of the room, or you can use the water-soluble paint provided to paint a picture on one of the easels on the stage.
In the second half of the show, three fine actors (unnamed, I’m sorry to say; there was no program) perform a one-act play that asks some provocative questions about art and our relationship to it, using the works the audience has just created as props. The play is pretty smart stuff, playing with the balance between artist and audience with snappy dialog. It also plays literal head games: when the characters swap hats, they also partly swap identities. A classic bit of physical comedy with a painting leads to the punch line and a blackout. Entertaining stuff, and just long enough to make some points without belaboring them.
If you’re curious as to what medium I chose to work in, the answer is: modeling clay. I’m including a picture of my magnum opus here. It’s supposed to be Fred Astaire.
Well, I never said I was an artist.
The Artist’s Art is being presented in the Kranzberg Center’s cabaret space as part of the St. Lou Fringe Festival. For a complete schedule, you may visit stlfringe.com
No comments:
Post a Comment