We began our journey into Solo Performance by choosing an artist we would like to do a presentation on. I chose Will Eno who wrote Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (2004).
This was a ten minute presentation spoken to the rest of my group. My notes here correspond with each slide:
What is it about?
The way it is said to explore death, rejection, love and fear is like an exploration of life. In just over an hour you get an insight into the ups and downs of Thom Pain’s life. One could say this is loosely linked to his childhood, or his current inner child maybe.
At the start he attempts to light a cigarette, but fails. This sets the tone for the piece and makes the audience aware of the imperfect life of the character. His character could be relating to the audience, in a way that could possibly create empathy because of his imperfections.
Staging
It really is just about a man and his voice. The set is simple, with just the character of Thom Pain on stage. His movements are very important when perceiving his edgy character, every movement is done with intention. This is something to think about when considering solo performance, the notion that your every movement is being watched and considered as you are the only person in the performance space.
Structure and Style
Thom Pain is described to have a ‘dead pan’ tone to his voice. The performing is stripped down, which creates a focus on the spoken word rather than the way it is acted. The script includes nonsense-like vocabulary and dictionary definitions, jumping from one thing to the next like a story of a bee sting to a dog. It is said to have the same style as Samuel Beckett plays. Possibly it could be said that it is like ‘Waiting for Godot’ because all the while Thom Pain is in this limbo world of nonsense where nothing makes sense.
There are interruptions to this story, the narrator who is also the boy of Thom Pain adds a layer and breaks the image of one character. Shifts are created throughout due the constant trails of thought, incoherent speech. This could keep the audience interested because of constant changes in pace.
The audience are never forgotten throughout, Thom Pain always addressing them as ‘you’. He opens the performance with “Do you like magic?” This question sets the tone for the piece, coming back to the idea that this is based on nothing. He also drags one member out of the audience and makes them stand and watch him throughout. He is breaking the fourth wall of performance and creating an atmosphere of constructed chaos. What he is saying is essentially nonsense, what he asks the audience is brought forth in a random manner and he then proceeds to make an audience member feel like they are also a part of the nonsense, by never telling them why they had to stand throughout the performance.
What makes this a solo performance?
When looking at Will Eno’s Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) I have started to learn more about solo performance. It is important to consider the audience and where they are going to be. Jo Bonney states that:
“Since the words were hammered out in the forge of the live performance, they reflect not only the mind and soul of the performer but that of their audience as well” (2000, xv)
This piece reacts with the audience by addressing them and taking one audience member out of his seat. This monologue format, of Thom Pain telling a story, shifts as the audience are addressed and included in the performance.
Presentations done by other group members has furthered my knowledge of what solo performance is and the styles within it. There are monologue performers like Spalding Gray who use real life experiences to fuel their performances. There are those who take on characters or alter egos, like Eric Bogosian who we saw become an ill subscribing doctor and drug addicted rock-star. The video below shows him in Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll (1990).
Then there are performers who use their bodies as canvases, like Orlan who reconstructs her facial features to create performance art. These solo performers are beginning to show me that there are a range of performance styles available for the solo performer.
Works Cited
Bonney, J. 2000 Extreme Exposure: an anthology of solo performance texts from the twentieth century. New York: Theatre Communications Group
Hrisy (2013) Eric Bogosian- Sex, Drugs, Rock&Roll. [online video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyd3N7zcaYc [Accessed 26 May 2014].
PS Add your name to the title of the blog. At the moment, it just reads ‘Solo Performance’.
Hi, Jade. Although there might have been more material on more solo performers, this is very solid start and it is shaping up nicely. In the second part of this semester, you should discipline yourself to make more regular contributions to the blog and look to documenting the range of influences and ideas as your performance develops.
Best wishes,
Donald.