bart Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Peter Sellars' new staging of Othello-- which was part of the Vienna Festival and transfers to NYC in September -- integrates cell phones into the story. According to the Times Literary Supplement: Everybody in the cast except Emilia sports one, and Brabantio vanishes from view to figure only in voice-over as the spluttering victim of a nuisance call from Roderigo and Iago. There is no face-off in front of the Senate between father, unwelcome son-in-law and daughter, but instead a conference call. Whether or not this idea is suitable for Othello -- how about ballet? How might we re-imagine key stories, scenes, or relationships in important ballets to bring our favorite art into the 21st century? My first suggestion: Odette's brief appearance in Act III. If she had a cell phone -- with Siegfried's number on automatic dial -- she might have warned him about Odile in time to prevent things from going so disastrously far. It's certainly better than beating her arms on the window, as she appears to be doing in several productions. Any other thoughts about the possibilities for cell phones in ballet? Fanny Elssler holds a rare round-shaped cell phone in this photo: http://www.artsvivants.ca/upload/dan/Biblio-T2-C-02.jpg The Sylphide hears her phone ring: http://www.ticketluck.com/images/La-Sylphide.gif She answers the phone. It's JAMES !!! http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/rdb/mmr_syl..._stance_500.jpg Link to comment
papeetepatrick Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I'm so old-fogey about this sort of thing. I think it sounds horrible for Othello and horrible for ballet too. Oh my god, that 'It's James!' says it all. I've had enough trouble with an internet stalker for several years--nevermind that I was only too happy when I found out recently that it was the only person I'd ever wanted to stalk me, so that maybe we do have a combination of Jane Austen, Sleeping Beauty, and p.c.'s, if not cellphones. So who am I to say, after all, that, if p.c.'s, why not cellphones? Link to comment
richard53dog Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 OK, so it is a bit silly but here goes..... Instead of Friar Laurence sending a message to Romeo that he has given Juliet a sleeping potion (and of course this message never gets to Romeo), he calls Romeo on his cell phone. Even though Romeo is no longer in Verona, his phone receives the "roaming" call. So Romeo knows that Juliet has taken the potion and when he later hears that Juliet has "died", he knows that this is just part of Friar's plan to buy some time. Romeo goes to the tomb and patiently waits for Juliet to wake up. The lovers are happily reunited. Of course this creates a few wrinkles, i.e. how does Romeo deal with Paris in the tomb? Also there is still the issue of Romeo's banishment. Link to comment
SandyMcKean Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Peter Sellars' new staging of Othello.............integrates cell phones into the story. Ugh.... Sounds like someone who doesn't have enough GOOD ideas. Link to comment
bart Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 The TLS reviewer, Eric Griffiths, a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, is obviously very familiar with the text of Othello and quotes extensively to show how effective the cell-phone conceit works in this particular production. But that's another topic. If anyone wants to discuss Sellars' Othello, I'll be happy to start a new thread on "Other Arts." Meantime, back at the silly season, what about the cell phone possibilities in ballets? The audience uses electronic devices in the theaters nowadays. Maybe we can think of this topic as the "revenge of the dancers." Or -- possibly -- the desperate effort of some demented Artistic Director to reach out to a younger generation. Thanks, Ray, for saving Romeo and Juliet. The lovers are happily reunited. Link to comment
sandik Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Ah, you've started August early! Link to comment
bart Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Sandik, you mean "Silly Season" is August! In Florida, we've had our long, hot summer for a long time, so we tend to get silly earlier than those of you further north. This may help explain the more baroque quality of so much Southern culture. Cell phones can save lives. A timely call to Giselle from one of her friends might have warned her about Albrecht's duplicity before she fell in love. "Wake up, girl. He's a fake." She dismisses him and dances to express her freedom. If she has another heart episode, someone in the village can call 911. Medics will arrive. Giselle will be saved. The only downer: she has to marry. On the other hand, cell phones distract, as numerous drivers and their victims have learned. Giselle does not actually have to meet Bathilde and learn the truth about Albrecht in this way. To save money on dancers, a small company might have her receive a phone call from another one of those friends. She hears the truth. She goes mad. The score during her mad scene is punctuated by strange ring tones. Only problem with this: what do you do about Act II. Who are the wilis? What do they have to do with cell phones? The spirits of former telemarketers? Link to comment
Helene Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I know this isn't in the spirit of this thread, but I what comes to mind immediately is Arlene Croce's comment in a review that "If Giselle herself called up Jaffee during the Mad Scene, she'd get a busy signal." (Of course, that was back in the day when busy signals existed.) Link to comment
bart Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Helene, you actually raise a couple of very relevant issues. Imagine a young dancer thrown into her first Giselle at short notice, possibly due to someone's injury. The cell phone -- because it is already established as part of the story -- could also be used to pass on step-by-step instructions from her coach. "Hop on pointe. Rond de jambe en l'aire -- 3 times only. Attitude in front. Now .. here come those pique turns we were talking about." Or imagine that Giselle DOESN'T get the warning call that might save her. She's on the line, so the caller has to leave the warning in voice mail. Link to comment
papeetepatrick Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 What I think could be interesting is an interactive sort of theater or dance piece in which the cellphones themselves are one of the main themes. Not that this could be done more than a few times, or even more than once, but we all know that cellphones not turned off are always in the audiences, and even if they don't go off, we are afraid they will. Although that sounds maybe a little more modern dance than ballet--the ballet cellphones would not be the hand-held types, of course, but an interesting piece could be made, slightly improv, although enough delinquent cellphones in the audience would have to be made sure of--wouldn't work if the audience had observed the usual rules. Link to comment
perky Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Albrecht, lost in the swamp, turns on his Garmin to find the correct way out. Myrtha, left cursing GPS technology takes out her frustrations on the Willis' by making them listen to her Garmin and the phrase "Arrive at destination!" repeatedly until THEY beg for mercy. The Poet, unable to waken The Sleepwalker sets his cell phone ring to the loudest level and asks The Coquette to give him a ring. This of course breaks the mood and rapt attention of the dance and causes the poet to be thrown out of his own ballet. Link to comment
bart Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 perky, it's a great idea to add the GPS. All electronic devices are welcome (in this alternate universe, at least). Link to comment
carbro Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Aurora could do the Rose Adagio sitting securely on her royal tush while juggling calls from her four suitors. Link to comment
bart Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 perky, I just thought of a way that Myrthe could still capture Albrecht. His GPS tells him where to go, but he's a nobleman and doesn't always follow instructions. The GPS keeps sqwalking: "RECALCULATING. RECALCULATING!" Myrthe hears it and follows the noise to her victim. carbro, your Aurora sounds like a real 21st century princess. Sit, chat, .. and SHOP ! Link to comment
perky Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Bart by that time Albrecht will welcome the blessed eternal silence wrought by vengeful lady spirits. Link to comment
LiLing Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 What I think could be interesting is an interactive sort of theater or dance piece in which the cellphones themselves are one of the main themes. Not that this could be done more than a few times, or even more than once, but we all know that cellphones not turned off are always in the audiences, and even if they don't go off, we are afraid they will. Although that sounds maybe a little more modern dance than ballet-.... Oh, this is definitely something Merce Cunningham would do! Link to comment
4mrdncr Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Only problem with this: what do you do about Act II. Who are the wilis? What do they have to do with cell phones? The spirits of former telemarketers? Oh no bart, don't you remember that wonderful cartoon with the skeleton still on hold to the IT helpdesk? The Wilis are the ghosts of all those who never got through to a live person, and expired. That's why they are so vengeful and don't listen to anyone anymore. PS. Our local symphony orchestra did a work this past season that incorporated cellphone ringtones into it. I'll try and see if I can determine what it was or who composed it. Link to comment
bart Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 The end of Dances at a Gathering. Evening. The stage is now in semi darkness. A Chopin Nocturne plays. The dancers gather, possibly for the last time. A man bends to touch the ground, reverentially. They look up at the vast, darkened sky. .... Familiar so far? One by one, stars begin to appear in the sky. Each, we notice, is slightly rectangular in shape, radiating a warm silver-green light. A hundred, a thousand, cell phone screens light up the firmament. A further miracle: we notice that they duplicate the many lighted screens that already dot the darkened theater as they have for the entire performance. Dancers, earth, cosmos AND the texters/tweeters in the audience ... have become ONE. The dancers seem transfixed. They do not walk away from us and bow to each other in this version. They reach into their pockets, slowly drawing out their own cell phones. They turn them on (creating many lovely sounds). They type. They call each other up. They are (as we all are) ... in communication with each other and with the stars. Curtain. ______________________________________ For those of you who hate this, I refer you to Jerome Robbins himself, speaking with Clive Barnes for the NY Times: I find myself feeling just what is the matter with connecting, what's the matter with love, what's the matter with celebrating positive things? Why, I asked myself, does everything have to be separated and alienated so that there is this almost constant push to disconnect? Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Oh what Robbins could have done with cell phones and In The Night.... Link to comment
sandik Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Oh this is amazing! I was at a show Saturday night and was wishing there was a choreographed ritual for the audience to use to turn off our cellphones... Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Who are the wilis? ...The spirits of former telemarketers? The Wilis are the ghosts of all those who never got through to a live person, and expired. That's why they are so vengeful and don't listen to anyone anymore. Link to comment
sunday Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 It seems that the spirits in Giselle are called Wiis in Spanish literature, not Wilis. So, one could imagine a Giselle second act full of dancing Nintendo gaming consoles, the poor Albrecht condemned to play Wii Fit game after game, and Myrtha playing Super Mario Kart searching mushrooms in the forest. I promise you that in Spanish is funnier! (Some mushrooms should help, anyway) Link to comment
Recommended Posts