Speed Curses is a psychically crushing performance extravaganza and manifesto about art-making in the form of an operatic baseball game
SPEED CURSES
At Collar Works Art Space, Troy, NY
In January 2012, I began a writing project called “Speed Curses”. The idea behind the work is that untapped literary and performative potential can be found in new social media like Facebook and Twitter, and that the future of the written word is in dialogue: an immediate dialogue between writer and audience, which therefore becomes an act of performance. The piece began loosely - based on emails and posts I had written that illustrated some of the values behind that assertion. It continued to evolve, as I began to find ways to solicit dialogue and opinions from my community.
I have finished about 450 pages of Speed Curses, and have done most of the writing in week long binges, staying awake for up to 9 days at a time. This deprivation / intoxication lent the work a missionary / manifesto quality, especially as I became more invested in the critique of modern art, music, and performance. The more these opinions are shared publicly, the more I feel a responsibility toward creating a multi-platform body of work around the writing: one that could be in the agency of the critique I am leveling at the culture.
What I am creating at Collar Works Art Space in Troy, NY is essentially multimedia performance. It will be music, collage, and text, but will adhere to a structure in which the deficiencies of American Theater can be thrown into relief against the backdrop of a pure, graceful, and relevant American art form: baseball. The performance will take the form of an operatic baseball game, and include coaches, umpires, vendors, announcers, and fans, as well as players. The goal would be to liberate the critique from the page, and allow it repositioning amidst the physical elegance of the game.
I have assembled an extraordinary team of artists to create this work with me, including: John Kern, Jesse Bonnell, Mary Jane Gibson, Charlotte DiGregorio, Victor Santos, Jason Baker, John Eckert, Andrew Ehrlich, and Colin Boyd. I am looking for funding to support this team of artists during the process of creating and building this show, as well as the building of the show itself in the Collar Works Art Space. Your contribution will help with every aspect of this production, from travel and housing to the creation of a legitimate baseball stadium within the Collar Works gallery space.
Performances are Thursday, Jan 24, Friday, Jan 25, & Saturday, Jan 26 at 8pm.
12" by 12" Collage Reward:
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
We are working with a very limited time frame with artists from all over the country. We are localizing in Troy for one week of intensive staging and technical rehearsal. Collar Works Art Space has been generous in their anticipation of our needs, and has allowed us 24 hour access to the gallery space during the week that we are all in Troy together. We hope to make that time as productive as possible to create an ambitiously staged and intellectually rigorous production.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
58
Backers
$7,553
pledged of $7,500 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding period
Dec 23, 2012 -
Jan 20, 2013
- First created · 4 backed
- Gieaux Shambayers 1014 friends
- Website: collarworks.org
Pledge $10 or more
12 backers
Acknowledgement in all performance materials.
Estimated delivery: Jan 2013Pledge $25 or more
14 backers
Acknowledgement in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance.
Estimated delivery: Jan 2013Pledge $50 or more
10 backers
Acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal, and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $100 or more
7 backers
An item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $300 or more
2 backers
One original 12” by 12” framed collage by Gieaux Shambayers, a item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal, and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2013Pledge $500 or more
1 backer
An original song, at least 2:30 min in length, written and recorded for you and about you, one original 12” by 12” framed collage, a item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal, and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2013Pledge $1,000 or more
0 backers
A full scale 24 hour propaganda / publicity campaign, dedicated to the point of view of your choice, an original song, at least 2:30 min in length, written and recorded for you and about you, one original 12” by 12” framed collage, a item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal, and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Mar 2013Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers
An album’s worth of music written and recorded for and about you and a live concert performance of this album done in your honor. A full scale 24 hour propaganda / publicity campaign, dedicated to the point of view of your choice, one original 12” by 12” framed collage, a item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013Pledge $7,500 or more
0 backers
Dinner with the cast and crew in either Los Angeles or NYC. An album’s worth of music written and recorded for and about you and a live concert performance of this album done in your honor. A full scale 24 hour propaganda / publicity campaign, dedicated to the point of view of your choice, one original 12” by 12” framed collage, a item of baseball memorabilia, signed by the cast and crew of Speed Curses, acknowledgment in all performance materials, a pair of tickets to the performance, invitation to watch a rehearsal and an electronic copy of the full Speed Curses text.
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
