SURREAL, SUBLIME CREATURES.SURREAL, SUBLIME CREATURES ANN CARLSON P.S. 122 NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NEW YORK FEBRUARY 10-20, 2000 Who but Ann Carlson could fill an entire evening with three ten-minute solos? Grass/Bird/Rodeo are quirky portraits of eccentric characters that typically burst from her fecund fe·cund adj. Capable of producing offspring; fertile. imagination. In truth, the solos--delightful as they are--are merely the black dress Carlson can adorn with pearls of insight about her creative process. She has a preternatural ability to articulate how her real life experiences inspire her artistic creations. She dresses onstage from a clothes rack to her left, as she introduces each solo with genial patter pat·ter 1 v. pat·tered, pat·ter·ing, pat·ters v.intr. 1. To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Rain pattered steadily against the glass. . The Sunrise String Quartet string quartet Ensemble consisting of two violins, viola, and cello, or a work written for such an ensemble. Since c. 1775 such works have been perhaps the predominant genre of chamber music. to our right plays musical interludes for accompaniment and transition. A raised platform centerstage, her stage-within-a-stage, is transformed between pieces from grassy meadow to Vegas runway to dirt arena by a crew who sits in the audience. She contemplates the letdown whenever you actually get what you've longed for: in this case, a grass suit. The solo is a simple accumulation of lying and walking poses. After it, she reveals that its movement was cued by audience motions and noises, and asks whether knowing that beforehand would have changed our viewing of the piece. As she dons mesh hose, silver high heels, a plumed headdress headdress, head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. , and one white wing--"the accoutrements ac·cou·ter·ment or ac·cou·tre·ment n. 1. An accessory item of equipment or dress. Often used in the plural. 2. Military equipment other than uniforms and weapons. Often used in the plural. 3. of objectification ob·jec·ti·fy tr.v. ob·jec·ti·fied, ob·jec·ti·fy·ing, ob·jec·ti·fies 1. To present or regard as an object: "Because we have objectified animals, we are able to treat them impersonally" "--she tells us Bird was inspired by a TV special about Playboy bunny training, and by watching a pigeon plummet from the sky. As Sinatra croons, "I've Got You Under My Skin" Carlson struts like a showgirl who seems to be metamorphosing into a real bird. Before Rodeo, she recalls falling off a horse while performing in a rodeo and suffering temporary amnesia. The experience had raised the question, What is reality? Several times during the evening she considers whether the memories she's recounting had actually happened or were merely figments of fancy. Her raucous rodeo barker, whooping whoop n. 1. a. A loud cry of exultation or excitement. b. A shout uttered by a hunter or warrior. 2. A hooting cry, as of a bird. 3. The paroxysmal gasp characteristic of whooping cough. , and hollering for imaginary contestants, keeps replaying in slow motion her tumble from horse to turf, then rebounding to continue the manic patter. After whipping us into a cheering frenzy, Carlson grows suddenly subdued. "I can never do the ending," she whispers, and runs off stage. After an uncomfortably long pause, the musicians play a short selection (the live music is all by Pierce Turner) and the lights fade, leaving us emotionally touched, sorting the reality from the real theater. |
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