Directed by Richard Schechner (of East Coast Artists and formerly, The Performance Group), performance artist Lián Amaris goes in search of Spalding Gray's "perfect moment" by following the map of experience described in Gray's masterpiece Swimming to Cambodia, nearly a generation later.
Swimming to Spalding is the 70-minute monologue reflecting on Lián Amaris' pilgrimage to the sites in Thailand which Gray evokes in his account of the filming of The Killing Fields. While returning to Gray's traditional story-telling, Amaris also ventures away from the "table and notebook" to embody a year of experiences all over the world- from Bangkok brothels to Baghdad bombings, from Mardi Gras to mental institutions. Part homage, part commentary, Swimming to Spalding reflects on how beauty, grace and art endure amidst the cruelties of war, prostitution, and mental illness... like the very rare orchids that cost a fortune in the States but grow up through the cracks of Bangkok sidewalks.
Join us after the Saturday and Sunday performances for a Q&A with Lián Amari and Richard Schechner.
Thursday, November 10th at 6pm
Performance Art and Monologue Workshop with Lián Amaris
This FREE three-hour theater workshop will utilize personal narratives juxtaposed with cultural narratives such as fairy tales, Biblical stories, news events, and other cultural "scripts" to create a pastiche of text and image-based performances. Please bring a personal story you'd like to explore, a "found" text that interests you (a speech, fairy tale, etc), and costume or prop elements you'd like to work with. Ages 18 and over, please. Limited to 16 participants, RSVP to Beth at
bshippertmyers@cacno.org
This project is made possible in part by support from the National Performance Network (NPN) Performance Residency Program. For more information: www.npnweb.org.
