Unlikely venues prove that anyplace can be a space for art
Neil LaBute's drama "The Shape of Things" explores often misguided assumptions about both art and relationships. For the newly launched Spontaneous Theater Project, the play's setting in an art gallery became an opportunity. Performances will take place in the Bernard Toale Gallery in the South End Aug. 23-Sept 1.
"When you're working on a play that asks questions about what is art, the decision to perform the show in an art gallery was not only a practical choice, but an aesthetic one as well," says project member Bobby Kennedy.
Although there might be challenges when performing in a gallery without backstage areas or lighting, project member Chris Carcione will be ready to tackle them. Carcione, who will be a senior at Boston University this fall, worked as the stage manager for the recent production of "3rd and Oak: The Laundromat," which was staged in Brighton's All-Brite Laundramat earlier this summer. "I'm probably a little ahead of the game because of that experience," he says.
"I know we don't need to worry about doing too much to make it theatrical. We'll use the existing track lighting, and drape some curtains for some simple costume changes. The experience at the laundromat was amazing. The performances became much more natural and the audience just goes with it. We really got a kick out of seeing the customers get drawn into the play."
Gallery owner Bernard Toale says he's happy to accommodate the theater company. "It's very easy to do things in the gallery after 5:30," he says. "I've hosted some film screenings and we're planning a dance on film series later in the fall to benefit the Coolidge Corner Theatre, so we have chairs they can set up. I hope the experience will be rewarding for them. It's not necessarily about cultivating new audiences, but we'll see what happens."
Another, more unlikely space will be transformed into a performance area tomorrow night, when Meet Under McGrath takes place in the space under the McGrath highway outside Union Square in Somerville (at the intersection of Washington Street). Alissa Cardone of the internationally known Kinodance is organizing celebrity dance stages for performances, Todd Sargent of TDA Productions will offer light shows and light sculptures, special guest jackbackrack will present videos, and three DJs will provide the soundscape with a '70s theme.
Susan Berstler, who came up with the idea for MUM, says it's an obvious way to connect with a neighborhood and engage new audiences. "I never understood why art had to be in a gallery with white walls," she says. "It's important to find a place where people can't avoid seeing art and interacting with it."
MUM, which is sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council and is a fund-raiser for several arts organizations in Somerville, has chosen an unusual setting, but Berstler says it works better than she expected. "It turns out it's one of the few big, open spaces in Somerville available for a public gathering."
Berstler says the diversity of the crowd is what makes it exciting for her. "Last year, while we were setting up in the afternoon, everyone who stopped at the traffic lights there asked what was going on," she says. "From teenagers to three generations of a family who live in the neighborhood, everyone was drawn to the experience."
If the McGrath highway is a little too urban, audiences can watch art in the making on Bumpkin Island over the Labor Day weekend. Up to 30 artists will be camping out there Sept. 1-3 as part of a homesteading project sponsored by the Island Alliance. The idea, says Carolyn Lewenberg of the alliance, is for the artists to be "awarded" plots of land in the tradition of the Homesteading Act that they can improve using found objects -- driftwood, shells, branches, flora, and whatever else they can find. "We're hoping the artists will be open to interacting with the public," she says, "and we're also inviting them to install the art around the island." Island Alliance will sponsor guided tours through the encampment, but Lewenberg says the public is welcome to watch the process any time over the weekend.
"The Shape of Things" runs Aug. 23-Sept. 1 at Bernard Toale Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave. Tickets: $10. 203-687-9569, spontane oustheaterproject.com. Music Under the McGrath, Aug. 18, 9 p.m.- 1 a.m. Suggested donation $10. 617-625-6600, ext. 2985, somer villeartscouncil.org. Artist Encampment, Bumpkin Island, Sept. 1-3. 617-223- 8672 , islandalliance .org.
