26/9/2002
Variations V by John Cage
Mobius, Boston
A 2002 revisitation of Cage's pioneering multimedia performance. By popular demand, the Mobius Artists Group brings back its newly envisioned version of John Cage's 'Variations V,' an intermedia work originally created in collaboration with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and an impressive gathering of the experimental art luminaries of 1965.
A 2002 revisitation of Cage's pioneering multimedia performance
Mobius Artists Group
(Boston) By popular demand, the Mobius Artists Group brings back its
newly envisioned version of John Cage's "Variations V," an intermedia
work originally created in collaboration with the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company and an impressive gathering of the experimental art
luminaries of 1965. In April of 2002, Mobius gathered a group of
Boston's brightest experimental artists, not to recreate but to
re-envision this pioneering piece of interdisciplinary multimedia.
Mobius' "Variations V" includes not only dance and movement but
interactive sound and video using an array of digital, analog and
human technologies. The April performances were a stunning success,
playing to turn-away audiences and highly praised by Theodore Bale of
the Boston Herald and renowned dance critic Marcia B. Siegel, writing
for the Boston Phoenix. As a result, the piece is being brought back
for an additional weekend, with new and revised material.
The Mobius production of "Variations V" features new choreography by
Not Frida. The dances are based on structures by Marjorie Morgan, who
has been called "the most original dance-maker in Boston" by the
Boston Globe. Landon Rose and Larry Johnson, both Boston-based sound
and multimedia innovators, will create the electronic environment
within which the performance will be experienced. Original electronic
music and environmental sound by Forrest Larson and David Miller will
be included, as well as new and existing music played on trombone by
the celebrated trombone explorer Tom Plsek. Real-time videography,
devised by Bob Raymond, will complete the loop of interactive
multimedia. For the September performances, new spoken word material
by Landon Rose and the dancers will be introduced. Also, Yin Peet's
Mechanical American Man, a sculptural installation exploring the
disjointed existence experienced by immigrants living in the U.S.,
will grace the walls and ceilings of part of the performance space.
In the spirit of Cage and Cunningham, this production of "Variations
V" is the product of a close collaboration, which began in the autumn
of 2001, and draws on the momentum of many years of interdisciplinary
work among Mobius Artists Group members and guest artists.
(Bios.): Larry Johnson has presented multimedia performance work all
over New England, New York, the Kitchen & Experimental Intermedia in
NYC, the Grand Canyon, Chicago, and many other places. He has been a
member of Mobius since 1992 and has performed at Mobius for over 15
years. He has collaborated with fellow Mobius members David Miller,
Landon Rose, and Jed Speare in a series of Text-Sound events and has
also been active in a series of John Cage concerts.
Forrest Larson is a composer who works in both electronic and
traditional acoustic instrumental mediums, often combining each. His
music has appeared on various local venues and has also received
performances in Pittsburgh, Ithaca, NY and Ashland OR. In April 2002,
a new piece for 8 violins will be played in Iceland. As a violist and
violinist, he has performed with local groups such as the New England
Philharmonic, the Boston Chamber Ensemble, the Common-wealth Vintage
Dance Orchestra and Macadam Road.
Since 1996, David Miller has collaborated with other Mobius Artists
Group members and guest artists on John Cage's "Variations" series of
performance pieces, as well as creating original works of sound
poetry. He has been a member of the Mobius Artists Group since 1980,
combining a background in theatre with interests in new music, sound
art and spoken word. In the Boston area, he has also worked with the
Invisible Cities Group, TheaterWorks, and Theater S.
Marjorie Morgan, a member of the Mobius Artists Group, is a
performance artist, writer, composer, choreographer and musician. In
addition to her own productions and those with her performance troupe
Not Frida, she has performed in projects with Bill T. Jones and
Robert Davidson, and has danced in the companies of Pooh Kaye, Paula
Josa-Jones, Snappy Productions, Caitlin Corbett and Brian Crabtree.
Boston critics have cited her work as being one of the top ten dance
events in 1996 (Boston Globe), 1998 (Boston Globe), 1999 (Boston
Phoenix) and 2001 (Boston Herald and Bay Windows).
Trombone explorer Tom Plsek has been stretching trombones and our
concepts of them for years. He is Chairman of the Brass Department at
Berklee College of Music in Boston and a member of the Mobius Artists
Group and Not Frida. Tom has performed with such artists as Jerry
Hunt, Malcolm Goldstein, Joseph Jarman, Phil Niblock, the Merce
Cun-ningham Dance Company, Joe Morris, Marjorie Morgan, and the
Outsider Quartet.
Bob Raymond is an intermedia artist and television industry
professional who has been a member of the Mobius Artist Group since
1983. He has produced many types of video works and video documents
and has photographed practically all of the work presented at Mobius
since 1983, where he also created and maintains the photographic
archives. His artwork has been seen at Mobius, Art in General (NY),
the DeCordova Museum (MA), VideoSpace (MA) and the Fuller Museum of
Art (MA).
Landon Rose is a member of the Mobius Artists Group and has been a
professional musician for the past twenty years. The scope of his
work includes: building instruments, i.e. amplified sounding bows
constructed from piano wire and reinforcement bar; creating
electroacoustic interactive computer music; building interactive
sound objects; and composing music to be sung and played by others.
Rave Reviews for last Spring's production:
"You don't come away from "Variations V" with a message, or a
massage, but the experience is intense and unique." (Marcia B. Siegel
of the Boston Phoenix, 4/12/2002)
"It was a heady night for music, choreography, and videography, and
it's a safe bet to say that the late composer would have been
thrilled with the results." (Theodore Bale of the Boston Herald,
4/6/2002)
When:
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 27-28, 8 pm; Sunday, Sept. 29, 3 pm
Tickets:
$10/$8 students, seniors and Friends of Mobius. Reservations strongly
recommended; please call Mobius at (617) 542-7416. Mobius does not
turn away audience members based on inability to pay. If you are
unable to pay the full admission price, please call the Mobius office
in advance to make other arrangements.
Mobius
Boston's Artist-Run Center
for Experimental Work in All Media
354 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210
phone: 617-542-7416
fax: 617-451-2910