process and empathy | Scott Kelman
A few days ago I promised words about Scott Kelman's piece, Tao Soup. But first, a bit about Scott.
Scott Kelman used to be one of the premier creators of theatrical performance art here in downtown LA. His pieces at the Wallenboyd Theater, Boyd Street Theater, and so on, were legendary, along with the troupe of regulars who worked with him.
Well, when his organization Pipeline folded, Scott picked up and moved to Portland, Oregon, where he has kept on keeping on. Scott continues to spawn, mold, coax, and direct brilliant, tough new work --using improvisational techniques that he calls kelmanworks-- with the Drunken Monkeys of Brooklyn Bay. The Electric Lodge in Venice brought Scott and the troupe back down to the LA area to perform Tao Soup.
So why am I so powerfully moved by Scott's work?
A complete lack of cynicism.
Total integrity inside its process
Commitment to theater that makes a difference
Profundity mixed with goofiness
Generosity, grace
No limits— all can happen
What a privilege to have seen so many of Scott's earlier pieces in the '80s, at the Wallenboyd. That magical space of theater, improvisation, guts and play is now warehousing cheap imported plastic toys from China. And Los Angeles, once the home of extraordinary creative foment [equity-waiver theater EVERYWHERE] seems to suck the life out of its artists.
Scott, we love you. We miss you. We need you.
THANK YOU for never ever ever giving up or selling out.
Scott Kelman used to be one of the premier creators of theatrical performance art here in downtown LA. His pieces at the Wallenboyd Theater, Boyd Street Theater, and so on, were legendary, along with the troupe of regulars who worked with him.
Well, when his organization Pipeline folded, Scott picked up and moved to Portland, Oregon, where he has kept on keeping on. Scott continues to spawn, mold, coax, and direct brilliant, tough new work --using improvisational techniques that he calls kelmanworks-- with the Drunken Monkeys of Brooklyn Bay. The Electric Lodge in Venice brought Scott and the troupe back down to the LA area to perform Tao Soup.
So why am I so powerfully moved by Scott's work?
A complete lack of cynicism.
Total integrity inside its process
Commitment to theater that makes a difference
Profundity mixed with goofiness
Generosity, grace
No limits— all can happen
What a privilege to have seen so many of Scott's earlier pieces in the '80s, at the Wallenboyd. That magical space of theater, improvisation, guts and play is now warehousing cheap imported plastic toys from China. And Los Angeles, once the home of extraordinary creative foment [equity-waiver theater EVERYWHERE] seems to suck the life out of its artists.
Scott, we love you. We miss you. We need you.
THANK YOU for never ever ever giving up or selling out.
posted by laurelpaley at 9:44 PM
1 Comments:
There's still some small theater out there in the wilds of LA. Take Dungeonmaster, for example...
*grin*
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