Experiment for this week

After our discussion of Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty, I thought we might try something a little gentler. The event score is something invented by a group of artists in the 60s and 70s who called themselves Fluxus. It is essentially a very miniature play, which may or may not be performed. Some examples are below. Try writing a few of your own and post them this week.

From Wikipedia: “Event scores, such as George Brecht's "Drip Music", are essentially performance art scripts that are usually only a few lines long and consist of descriptions of actions to be performed rather than dialogue. […] Fluxus performances were usually brief and simple. The Event performances sought to elevate the banal, to be mindful of the mundane, and to frustrate the high culture of academic and market-driven music and art.”

Supper
The curtain is raised. A large table set with food, drink, flowers, candles is displayed on stage. 10 well-dressed performers carrying instruments enter, bow, and seat themselves behind the table. They lay down their instruments. 2 waiters begin to serve food and wine. Performers begin to eat, drink, and talk. After a few minutes, the audience can also be offered food and drink. (Emmett Williams, 1965)

Sanitas No. 2
Auditorium or theatre should be dark. Performers throw small objects, coins, toys, etc., into the audience and then try to find these objects using flashlights. (Tomas Schmit)

Theft
A theft is announced and the audience is searched. (Ben Vautier, 1961)

Audience Piece No. 10
An announcer hidden from view of the audience observes all who enter the theatre with binoculars and describes each in detail over a public address system. (Ben Vautier, 1965)

Child Art Piece
The performer is a single child, two or three years old. One or both parents may be present to help him with a pail of water, a banana, etc. When the child leaves the stage, the performance is over. (Alison Knowles, 1962)

Drip Music
For single or multiple performance. A source of dripping water and an empty vessel are arranged so that the water falls into the vessel. (George Brecht, 1959)

More examples can be found here.