American in Tent

The Art of the Possible – the podcast as dramatic ruse for dramatic storytelling

“When artful expression went silent in Lockdown, overtaken by the angry volley of rhetoric on social media, stuff shifted.

Arguably, artists say what is recklessly expressed on social media with tools that are far more succinct, thought-provoking, and impactful – craft, the benefit of mentors, and the understanding of dramatic structure, of poetic metaphor and simile.

A virtual spoken word venue at this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival featuring a diverse and inclusive collective of artists and performers. 

Our Voices carry the emotional history of our lineage. It is a sonic map of our joy and pain–an identity carried across language, through the generations. Soprano and Sound Artist Micaela Tobin reflects upon the lineage of her voice through an intimate narration of aural memory and soundscape. 

Join Stephanie Vlahos on a a stage director's process, exploring the story behind playwright Willy Holtzman's play "The First Mrs Rochester." It moves to unexpected places.

Players:

Jean: Natasha Detmer

Selma: Kate Mcclorey

A virtual spoken word venue at this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival featuring a diverse and inclusive collective of artists and performers. 

A series of spoken word performances telling the story of creation – the writer’s creation, where characters on the page become real.

"I am a witless forger of my fate, a fate that should have been about touching a life, providing someone insight into their humanity, reminding whomever that all of us are everything. We are all, we are…" John K

In The Moon Room leaves us all with the question, how do we mindfully inspire future generations to do the right thing?

These are the stories about women and how their voices are better heard.

NEVER SAY NEVER UNLESS IT’S FOREVER ramps up emotions with skateboards and rap with a hook as it focuses on alienated youth as inspired by the Lost Boys in JM Barrie’s Peter Pan.

Part of the American (in)Tent Reach In Don’t Outreach program promoting the voice of youth, cuz the kids are alright. Directed and performed by youth artists, this program advocates cultural commonality out of current issues that deeply afflict younger generations. Never Say Never is written by S Vlahos with rap lyrics by Jack Zager.

I was raped in New York City during my final week of college in 2013. This moment marked a rupture in my childhood freedom and forced the beginning of my autonomy as an adult.

A successful performance artist known as one of the infamous ‘NEA Four’ – along with Karen Finley, Tim Miller, and Holly Hughes – whose lawsuit against the National Endowment of the Arts achieved notoriety in the early 90’s.

I took the red eye from New York to LA, hoping Jeff and I might start fresh, that things might be different. 

Imani's story becomes the latest in a long line of tales about the perils of Hollywood.

She has moved to LA and has had a few rough days, but has learned a thing or two about the city.

"A few weeks after I arrived in LA, a pop song hit the charts. Kpop plus John K equals 'Boom'. The lyrics to the song "My Me" detailed a legendary conversation with John K Mercury. All of these numbers in the background of the John K website convert to Words at the bottom of each page ... a unique hashtag."

The mystery of John K. Mercury

Did I mention that Jeff also landed the rights to the best selling book John K.? 

Let's walk the Appian Way armed with my friend John K. 

Before Chaos - The Paper Zoo

There I was in London playing Tarra in the ‘Paper Zoo’. The ghost that haunted our theater was rather cheeky. 

Imani joins Geoff in London for a unique theater opportunity, only to be set back by the pandemic. But that’s not the only setback. When she emerges from the London Tube at Regent Street, Imani receives a phone message from America and learns that her mother is dying. Imani flies back to Connecticut to see her mother for the last time.

Geoff and I were already in a taxi when I realized I had left my phone on stage. When I got my phone, I had a text message from my dead father.

Geoff's humor often diffused stuff, a bad pun to smooth over budding cruelty. He did not like actors. With ‘lockdown’ and the ever mutating nature live theater, the opening of the Paper Zoo became more unpredictable. 

We filmed our online performance of the ‘Paper Zoo’ with cell phones. 

“I don't think tigers want to be seen. Lions. They're different. They're proud. Tarra did not like the sun.”

“Hello, Imani. It's Enid. I'd rather not say this on a message, but with the time difference in your work, I'm not sure when I might physically reach you. I'm afraid I have some tough news.”

Imani was in a clothes store, she broke down in the blurring radiance of a Hawaiian Sunset. When she stopped crying she had no memory of buying that cookie Hawaiian outfit.

“My mother is dying. I have to go back to Connecticut.”

Actors:

• Imani: Gwyneth Mackenzie
• Marco: Jonathan Medina
• Geoff: Kenny Ricci
• Nurse: S Vlahos
• Augusta: S Vlahos
• Onstage Actor: S Vlahos
• Imani’s Mother: Anindo Marshall

FX Sounds courtesy of Freesounds.com:

1. Marco’s Theme: FoolBoyMedia “new York jazz loop” 347848
2. Geoff’s Ringtone: jgreer “calling you”555699
3. Geoff Theme: anechoix “Game Music, jazz loops, jazz loop 3”
4. Mother Theme: Kai Hansen “Kalimba-song” 24515
5. Father Theme: cunningar807 “Sad Violin” 377258
6. Plane: tim.kahn “plane flyover takeoff”199263
7. Connecticut exterior: Allirog “crickets and whiny insect” 456821
8. London Taxi: Kyles “Uganda, communal taxi” 407104
9. Sound in empty theater: _isragallo_ “Silence_movie_theater” 514305
10. Footsteps: wolfdoctor “Lots of Footsteps” 555116
11. Keys: sKydran “Key Noises” 131437
12. Soap theme song: DDmyzik “Fairy Logo” 476707
13. Theme song for Paper Zoo: pogmothoin “hesitant mysterious glockenspiel tune” 401674
14. London Underground: InspectorJ “London Underground, arriving” 401989
15. Mango store: azumarill “Websters department store” 330543
16. Kennedy Airport arrivals: jjamespacap “car horns Morocco” 268015
17. Thunder and Rain: FlatHill “Rain and Thunder” 237729
18. Car driving up Hill: deathicated “South Africa” 137978
19. Oxygen Machine: Nixeno “hospital room” 417957
20. Screen Door: snardin42 “Screen Door Opening and Closing” 45643
21. Lawnmower” alinistcog “lawnmower–drone” 125784
22. Butterfly at screen window: Yuval “butterfly wings” 198818
23. Party: thorvandahl “Small Party Walla” 77003
24. News Theme: chimerical “Countdown News Intro” 107330