Jake Allsop

Changes

Another recent change in our Multimedia performance piece has led us away from our initial ideas of dark thoughts and a dystopian future to a piece that includes exploring key moments in human history. While we had certainly made great headway with these ideas that challenged society in a modern and futuristic context, and even though some of our group members may be frustrated that their work on these ideas may no longer be used, a piece that acknowledges where we come from and the events that shape where we are now is just as important as discussing our present and our future.

In our most recent meeting we made a list of important moments that we felt we could explore with technology on stage and make an intriguing multimedia performance. In pairs, we thought up historical events and my partner and I thought of the Moon Landing and what impact social media would have had if the internet was around for these moments.

http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_330_15-important-moments-in-history-if-social-media-was-around/

In the end the social media angle was abandoned due to the notion of it being a weak focus point, despite my personal feeling that it was an interesting concept that might have led to creative input from other group members.

Within the finalized list there were events such as 9/11, the Moon Landing and the JFK assassination, and from the list we were given the choice of which examples to explore and think of ways we could bring those examples to the stage in an exciting and engaging way. I wanted to work on the Moon Landing as me and my partner found it interesting and so I was assigned to research the facts surrounding the Moon Landing while my partner looked into the conspiracy theories surrounding the event. However there was another example on the list that piqued my interest; that of the Jonestown Massacre and consequently the Westboro Baptist Church. This stirred something in me and I thought of a filmmaker that I deeply admire, Kevin Smith, and a movie that he made called Red State that was directly inspired by the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church. Because of this, I wanted to explore what effect these events have on society and how they have shaped who we are today.

Hate and Prejudice

The Westboro Baptist Church, organised by the Phelps family, are an extreme anti-homosexual hate group that carry out protests against the gay community, going so far as to protest gay weddings and even funerals for gay people.

http://www.ranker.com/list/7-craziest-westboro-baptist-church-protests-ever/melody-yan

As Kevin Smith noted in his Q&A “Kevin Smith: Burn In Hell” he wanted to make a movie about how far this group could go in their tirade against homosexuals by eventually supplying the dead bodies that they protest at funerals. This infuriated the Phelps family and so they began to protest the movie, labelling Smith as a “Fag Enabler.” To combat this, Smith took note from a cosplayer at a comic convention that the Church was protesting. As one of the members of the Westboro Baptist Church held up a sign that read “God Hates Fags” a man dressed as the robot Bender from “Futurama” held up a sign that read “Down with Humans”, so following on from this idea of fighting ridiculousness with ridiculousness Smith and his friends made their own picket signs to retaliate in a humorous way such as “God Hates Homework” and “Dick Tastes Yummy”. I think it would be entertaining to fill the stage with signs that support the Westboro Baptist Church’s views and hilarious signs like Smiths that show how people can abuse their right to free speech in an attempt to inflict pain and misery upon others, and how other people can use good natured humour and light heartedness to combat these types of actions. From a technical standpoint we can use live cameras on these signs to better show the audiences what is being presented on stage, while from a pre-recorded standpoint we could play clips from interviews with the Phelps’s demonstrating their views as well as the opinions of people who disagree with the Phelps’s viewpoints.

Cult of Violence

Leading on from this is an even that took place on November 18^th 1978, known as the Jonestown Massacre. In 1956, Jim Jones founded the People Temple in Indianapolis. The Temple was a racial integrated church, focusing on [people in need. In 1966, they moved to Redwood Valley, California. Jones’s vision was a communist community. In 1977, Jones established Jonestown agricultural settlement with approximately 50 inhabitants, but not Jones. An expose article which Jones heard word that it was to be published, which unsettled him because it contained interviews form ex members of the Church. The night before publication, Jones and several hundred followers flew to Guyana and into the Jonestown compound.

1100 men, women and children were Jonestown inhabitants. Jones implemented strict regulations regarding isolation and contact with non-members of the People’s Temple. Jonestown was meant to be a Utopia, but it had armed guards, not enough cabins, bunk beds and overcrowding and each cabin was segregated by gender so families were split apart. And due to overcrowding, heat and humidity grew to sick members. Jones had forced labour, 11 hours a day and the inhabitants were never allowed to leave. On top of this, Jones had constant speeches on loud speakers even at night.

Congressmen Leo Ryan, his advisor, an NBC film crew and concerned relatives investigated Jonestown on November 17^th 1978. All was fine till the evening when a note was secretly passed to a member of the NBC film crew that stated a list of names of people wanting to leave the compound, making apparent that people were being held against their will. On November 18^th 1978, the Congressmen took 15 members to an airstrip along with the people that came with him, but the Congressmen stayed and waited for other people who wanted to leave. He was attacked and had his throat almost slit by members of the church so he quickly left. The truck containing the Congressman and the others arrived at the airstrip safely but the planes weren’t ready. Then a tractor and a trailer of Church members pulled up and opened fire on the group. 5 died including the Congressman and the cameraman, others were severely wounded. At the same time in Jonestown, Jones made a speech despite being panicked and agitated. He talked about the attack on the group, resulting in the town not being safe anymore;

“When they start parachuting out of the air, they’ll shoot some of our innocent babies.” Jim Jones

“Revolutionary act” (Jim Jones) of suicide

“If these people land out here, they’ll torture some of our children here. They’ll torture our people, they’ll torture our seniors. We cannot have this.” Jim Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWr45bKWpE

Jones told his followers to drink Grape flavoured Flavour-Aid, which was in fact a concoction of cyanide and valium. With no choice, babies and children went first. Mothers and nurses used syringes to pour the juice into their mouths. Then the Mothers, the other members drank the poison. Most were already dead when others were in line to drink the juice. Some did as bayed in the name of “the Father” Jim Jones. If anyone refused they were forced to drink, injected, shot or strangled to death. It took them 5 minutes to die. 912 people died from drinking the poison, 276 of whom were children. Plus the 5 from the airstrip, the last was Jones himself, who died from a single shot to the head. It is unknown whether it was self inflicted. 918 was the total death count.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1970s/p/jonestown.htm

A way that a piece can be made from this moment is we as a group can re-enact the events that lead to the mass suicide, using 3 visual perspectives. One is the audience viewing the stage; the 2 others would be screens. A live camera feed would be used to simulate the NBC camera viewpoint. The other would be pre-recorded footage from the actual event, with quotes from Jim Jones and news coverage.

Moonwalking

The other important moment from history that interested me was, of course, the 1969 Moon Landing. This was a milestone in the history of human space travel, particularly for America, as they landed on the moon before Russia, thus winning the alleged “Space Race” against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Since I was tasked with listing the facts of the event as opposed to the conspiracy theories that attempt to disprove it, these are the points that I felt were the most vital:

1. The shuttle that took the astronauts to the moon was the “Saturn V” and was the tallest and heaviest ever built.

2. Neil Armstrong’s “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” quote was actually spoken incorrectly, he was actually meant to say; “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.

3. Buzz Aldrin is a strict Presbyterian Christian so he took a mini communion kit without NASA knowing meaning the first drink the astronauts had was wine.

4. Collins was the module pilot so he had to stay in the orbiting Columbia craft while Aldrin and Armstrong took the lunar module to the moon’s surface.

5. According to Aldrin and Armstrong, when they removed their spacesuits they could smell and taste the moon dust from their clothing. They described it as ‘spent gunpowder’ and ‘wet ashes’.

6. The moon landing had an estimated 600 million television viewers.

7. NASA had to hold a council discuss the political implications of putting the American flag on the moon, considering nobody actually owns the Moon. In the end they did, perhaps as a signal of power to the Soviet Union, the biggest rivals to the Americans in the space race.

8. In the case of the programme’s failure and the 3 astronauts lives’ lost, President Nixon had a speech prepared called “In Event of Disaster” which began: “fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay to rest in peace”.

I obtained these facts from this link, that contains further information on these points as well as others on the moon landing; http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/facts-you-should-know-about-the-apollo-11-moon-landing/story-fnjwlcze-1226995022345

There are many sound and video extracts that would be useful for a performance piece showcasing the Moon Landing, such as Neil Armstrong’s famous words, TV news report footage and footage of the Astronauts on the moon. While this can be shown as pre-recorded footage on screens, live bodies could be demonstrating the difficulties behind the scenes of the mission, through dance or actions without words. We could also do a live split screen, where on one side it is as though the mission actually took place on the moon, whereas on the other side it is set up like a film set, encouraging the idea that the event was indeed staged. These can all be utilised to express the importance of this event in history.

[tape-rewinding, press start]

Greatest Futurist. He told us… He said meeting of Microsoft kids. Meeting of Microsoft kids. Like, this high-school ― Charles Lee Lesher, Shadow on the to clearly see where you are, and moment, then realize: “I can’t. Then realize: “I can’t.” Kat shakes see the future yet. See the future yet. We don’t hear government… no cancer… hover-boards. Government… no cancer… hover-boards.” “Go further. What’s Imagination? “Go further. What’s Imagination?” “Sounds like a Japanese game show. A Japanese game show.” have only risk management. Have only risk management. The spinning of on what we already know, and we because our present is too volatile. Present is too volatile. We Strange “I foresee death by culture shock. Death by culture shock.” long and there will be many setbacks. Will be many setbacks. “To be a futurist, in pursuit of the good future after that? Good future after that?” “Spaceships. Party Imagination runs out. Party Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, you’re a science fiction writer. A science fiction writer.” Okay: “World on Mars. Okay: “World on Mars.” “Further.” “Star Trek. ” “Further.” “Star Trek. Transporters. You nobody listens to the future. Listens to the future. The future is all around us, but we don’t he is. We don’t he is. That’s why he’s the world’s trip thing, but it was very exclusive. It was very exclusive. Moon “”Have you ever played Maximum Happy the given moment’s scenarios. The given moment’s scenarios. Pattern recognition.” ― The good future. ― The good future. No nuclear bombs. Pretend ― Woody Allen “We have no future her head. No future her head. “It’s really hard. And that’s, Dr Gustav Y. That’s, Dr Gustav Y. Svante. Nobody knows who Kat straightens her shoulders. Kat straightens her shoulders. “Okay, we’re going century. “Okay, we’re going century.”” ― Robin Sloan, Mr. ― Robin Sloan, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour can go anywhere. 24-Hour can go anywhere.” “Further.” “I pause a of failure has never been this high. Never been this high.” face continually turned upstream, waiting for the right? Waiting for the right? We probably just imagine things based tell it. Things based tell it.”” ― Bruce Sterling, Love is that? Sterling, Love is that? What could possibly come after that? Possibly come after that? We met the world’s greatest Futurist there. World’s greatest Futurist there. Bookstore “Once, I went to this little run out of analogies in the thirty-first that the future was already here, but it or see it, so we can’t then wonder how to make that better. To make that better.” ― Warren Ellis “The road ahead is to play. Ahead is to play. To start, imagine the future. Start, imagine the future. Future to come. To improve reality is improving reality, is not to have your what, a thousand years? What, a thousand years? What comes after Success is not assured… but the price. Assured… but the price.

[tape-stop]

“To be a futurist, in pursuit of improving reality, is not to have your face continually turned upstream, waiting for the future to come. To improve reality is to clearly see where you are, and then wonder how to make that better.”
― Warren Ellis

“The road ahead is long and there will be many setbacks. Success is not assured… but the price of failure has never been this high.”
― Charles Lee Lesher, Shadow on the Moon

“”Have you ever played Maximum Happy Imagination?”
“Sounds like a Japanese game show.”
Kat straightens her shoulders. “Okay, we’re going to play. To start, imagine the future. The good future. No nuclear bombs. Pretend you’re a science fiction writer.”
Okay: “World government… no cancer… hover-boards.”
“Go further. What’s the good future after that?”
“Spaceships. Party on Mars.”
“Further.”
“Star Trek. Transporters. You can go anywhere.”
“Further.”
“I pause a moment, then realize: “I can’t.”
Kat shakes her head. “It’s really hard. And that’s, what, a thousand years? What comes after that? What could possibly come after that? Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, right? We probably just imagine things based on what we already know, and we run out of analogies in the thirty-first century.””
― Robin Sloan, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

“Once, I went to this little meeting of Microsoft kids. Like, this high-school trip thing, but it was very exclusive. We met the world’s greatest Futurist there. Dr Gustav Y. Svante. Nobody knows who he is. That’s why he’s the world’s greatest Futurist. He told us… He said that the future was already here, but nobody listens to the future. The future is all around us, but we don’t see the future yet. We don’t hear it or see it, so we can’t tell it.””
― Bruce Sterling, Love is Strange

“I foresee death by culture shock.”
― Woody Allen

“We have no future because our present is too volatile. We have only risk management. The spinning of the given moment’s scenarios. Pattern recognition.”
― William Gibson, Pattern Recognition

Cut into the present and the . . . past leaks out?

An empty stage, one projection of a live feed video of back stage on a delicate hand slowly moving a pill bottle backwards and forwards. The hand goes to pick them up multiple times then choses against it the whole time the audience make their way to their seats. The lights go down, he begins. “Mr President, on this occasion of your birthday…” 

The camera pans up to show Marilyn backstage in her own world, holding the pill bottle.
“Mr President, Marilyn Monroe…” 
Nothing. 
Marilyn is greeted by panicked looking stage hands on screen. 
“Let me just say… Here she is!” 
She makes her way out of the dressing room and onto the stage…

She leaves, the cameras follow her, she falls to the floor and cries, clutching where her womb would be. She mimes something – we can’t hear what, to the stage hands, they carry her off back through a door. Poor Marilyn just wants a baby.

Imagine a show where we see past the images we’re so used to. Where we can see into Marilyn’s dressing room, or to the men that made Martin Luther King. We can ask odd questions like ‘What does 9/11 sound like?’ and ‘What did the moon landing look like made out of television pixels?’

I have this image of a completely monochrome show, everything in black and white. The set, the live feed cameras, the projection, the costumes. Replicating the ‘Newspaper Pictures’ we see every day. Taking something that has inherently got no technology (Newspaper) and breathing life into them. Moments from history presented in new ways, ways that are only achievable through technology. JFK’s assassination, Hitler’s death, signing of the treaty of Versailles and the end of World War 1,  The titanic, The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ shot, fall of the Berlin wall, Nazi book burn, Bill Gates!

The possibilities are endless, and we can show so much with technology, from recreation, addition, focus on some tiny detail.
Stuff like that will make an interesting show – and entertaining when audience learn what is being shown.

The scene titles can be made from other newspaper headlines to create a sentence or phrase, projected up onto a screen so the audience can read it.
For example, the Marilyn scene can have “Birthday Song by Late Woman” – simplifying events in the word form but overcomplicating them physically on stage by adding so much more.

This composition of a monochrome stage* with images of history is something that just fascinates me, and I think it does exactly what we were asked to do. Show something that can only be shown with technology.

*Also a monochrome stage would look cool if certain things were in colour, for example, one girl in a red dress against a black and white stage would be stunning.

What do you think?