I've chosen to revisit the story of Adam and Elena Emery and Jason Bass for my dissertation piece. I've been sitting around with this story banging around in my head, and I figure I'll try to do something about it.
It's been a long time since my last post, but I felt it is worth it to start keeping a blog-diary of my progress, and as always comments/suggestions are always welcome.
Here is a blurb from a recent grant proposal that tells what I am up to in 500 words or less:
The (unfinished) Ballad of Adam and Elena Emery is a multimedia performance piece loosely based on a murder story that occurred in Rhode Island in the early 1990s. It will serve as my dissertation piece for the completion of my doctorate in the MEME program at Brown. The story is that of Adam and Elena Emery who, in a case of mistaken identity, murdered innocent 16-year-old Jason Bass in 1990. In 1993 Adam Emery was convicted of this second degree murder and while out on bail prior to sentencing, he and his wife Elena allegedly jumped to their deaths off of the Newport Bridge. However Adam Emery's body was never found.
I wish to set the story of this case as a multi-tiered performance piece in which small details, rather than big picture judgments, are presented as both performance scenes and mixed media installations all occurring within a single performance venue. I am approaching this story obliquely, through fragmented details known about the case: the Emery's last meal at Burger King, the remembrances of Jason Bass's niece, a story from the rescue dog trainer, etc.
The (unfinished) Ballad is a roving performance, in which the audience does not sit and view the performance on a stage from a fixed location, but travels around with groups of performers who perform scenes in various rooms within one structure. The piece will last about one hour and will consist of six short (7-10min) performance scenes and three audio/video installations in connecting rooms and hallways. I am writing the music, making the electronics, and developing the audio/video processing tools for this piece. There will be ten performers (dancers and musicians), most of whom are locals and students, though two will be coming from New York City.
The piece will take place off campus at the Castle Theater (http://wiki.ppsri.org/tiki-index.php?page=Castle+Theater), which is a closed-down movie theater in Providence. I have chosen this location both because of its historical past and the blank slate quality of this location. It is the perfect place into which to build a roving piece such as this from the ground up. I have received positive initial responses from the owners of the theater as well as the Providence Fire Inspector. I will hear whether I can definitely perform here or not within a few weeks. If it does not work out for me to perform here, I am looking into similar locations, both on and off campus.
The costs associated with this project will mainly include electronics, building supplies, and props used in the performance as well as a modest per diem and travel expenses for visiting performers. I will also need to pay a fire marshal to be present at the performances. I am planning on an in-progress performance on May 10 and between two and four final performances occurring over weekends this September or October.
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