Monthly Archives: November 2014

Fall For Dance

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Each performance and studio brought very unique stylistic differences and each studio’s aimed impact for the audience varied greatly as well.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

I didn’t necessarily enjoy this performance as much as the others. The music was harshly, industrial which in my opinion suited the performances mechanical and uniform style. Furthermore, the unshapely black smocks which each performer wore added to this uniformity. Although the performance was very robotic and formulaic and at times seemed to be discordant due to the lack of connection between the rhythm of the music and the movements of the dancers, their was an underlying level of unity which allowed the piece to flow and come together.

 

LUCINDA CHILDS DANCE COMPANY

Of all the performances this was my favorite. The entire time I analyzed each couple and began to see each color with the differing styles of each couple as a part of a documentation of a romantic relationship. Alternately, I saw that it could be a general representation of the trials and tribulations as well as the benefits of a romantic relationship rather than the rocky relationship of one couple. With each movement the audience could see either the tension in the relationship, or a simple dip could be interpreted as the dependency on had on the other, and the red performance I remember as being implicitly sensual. This one truly amazed me because it was a perfect representation of how body language can be utilized to convey so much meaning, its truly like a language of its own.

 

SEBASTIEN RAMIREZ & HONJI WANG

From the moment Ramirez and Wang entered onto the stage I knew this performance would be different from the others. Even their casual, non costume seeming, clothing gave the performance a different energy completely. Their incorporation of modern street style dancing into traditional ballet was very fun and energetic and also portrayed a relationship between the two dancers. Some of the moves they did were very impressive and evoked verbal responses from the audience. Overall, It was very playful and I feel like it really woke up the reinvigorated and woke up the crowd.

 

SEMPEROPER BALLET DRESDEN

The final performance was also particularly interesting to me. It was a very complex intertwining of playful, silly dancing and a very serious social commentary. When it began I was confused at whether the singular man dancing was part of the performance or just a transitional skit between performances. I really liked that they were so inclusive and interacted with the audience it added a new level of entertainment and excitement to the performance. Furthermore, the music was really interesting and I like how they incorporated a sort of tribal vibe to it. It was surprising when the performers, in identical suits and ties, sat in the semi circle and the mood immediately became very serious and somber. I think the first round of the performers systematically flailing with the last man falling to the ground was a bit of a shock to the entire crowd. Aesthetically, the circular wave they created was very interesting. I feel as though the choreographer was making a commentary on the cyclic nature of a workingman’s lifestyle, which much of society believes is the norm. It conveyed this idea that we end up living to work rather than working to live and in the end some of us begin to get fed up with this systematic, mundane lifestyle and become bogged down by the tiresome cycle of life (symbolized by the man falling to the ground). Contrastingly, the silly parts of the dance were a reminder to let loose, live a little, and find some joy in the simple things in life even if it is just randomly dancing.

Patti Smith

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Patti Smith is a very interesting character. She isn’t known first and foremost as an author but rather a musician. She is a singer, songwriter, poet and visual artist. Her band the Patti Smith Group debuted their first album Horses in 1975, this album was a major influence on  the punk rock scene in New York City. This album was ranked number 44 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 issue of 500 greatest albums of all time. Patti Smith is also known as the Godmother of Punk as she fuses rock and poetry. She has also co-written a song with Bruce Springsteen, “Because the Night”.

Listen to it here:

— Chloe Chai

Banksy Art: Graffiti

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After today’s class I went and looked up some of Banksy’s pieces on Google. I found one that particularly stuck with me:

A photo taken of Banksy street art in London. Found at: http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/2011/04/26/banksy-street-art-clipstone-street-fitzrovia/

A photo taken of Banksy street art in London. Found at: http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/2011/04/26/banksy-street-art-clipstone-street-fitzrovia/

I feel like this piece is particularly powerful because of its blatant contradictions.

“If graffiti changed anything, it would be illegal.”

Obviously, graffiti is illegal. Thus, Banksy’s point is made clearly through this painting: Graffiti does have the power to change things and that is why people in power don’t want it to exist.

It reminded me of the conversation we had today about what kind of art is allowed in public space, who dictates it, and of course the tearing down of 5Pointz.

I feel like graffiti is so powerful because it is raw. It portrays a viewpoint of a generally voiceless community. Sam commented on one of my last posts something along the lines of this: graffiti is the only outlet that some people have, so we have to let their voices be heard. If we do, it can have the power to change everything.

Philippe Petit: The Human Definition of Dream

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Philippe Petit definitely must be one of the most driven men in history.  His entire life from the point he saw the construction of the towers in a paper in the dentist office, to his achievement of walking across the towers, was consumed by the desire to just do it.  It is impressive how much practice he had done on other great public places knowing just what the consequences would be such as getting arrested.  The sad thing is that he could not do it alone and he essentially just used all of his friends throughout the entire process.  His girlfriend had even mentioned that she had to put her own dreams aside while she was in the relationship.  She had to help him realize his own dream before hers and then after the success and fulfillment of that dream he left her for someone else.

This was not only what happened to her but also to all of his closest friends.  All of them had contributed to Petit’s success and realization of his dream but all were essentially abandoned after the completion of his dream.  While he was granted amnesty for his act that was considered to be illegal, his friends were all kicked out of the United States and were not allowed to come back.  Petit did not even do anything to make amends with his friends.  It truly was sad to watch one of his long time friends start to cry during the documentary, because of the memories that are all now almost faded.  A big part of his life was to be able to help his friend accomplish his dream and then once it was done it was all over for him, the friendship and this big role.

I also can not imagine how Philippe reacted at the end of it all.  I understand he still performs publicly his art of tightroping but there is nothing else to really strive for.  After accomplishing such an immense dream, what else is there really to do in life?  It seems he has made peace with it but I can not imagine how he would be able to view his life in the same way as he did before his walk between the towers.

The Significance of Humanity

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Upon reading the journal entries I have gotten back today, I noticed a particular interest in one phrase I used by Professor Drabik.  My phrase was “humankind as a whole has no significance” and the response to this phrase was “Are you sure?”  This entry dates back to our fourth class, we were discussing the poems “Man Listening to Disc” and “The Weary Blues.”  I believe during this class we entered into one of the most heated debates about the significance of man.  Many believing that we do in all ways have much significance however my point is that in a cosmic scale we do not.  Even on a more global scale, the history of the conquered is always lost to those that conquer.  One specific example was the burning of the libraries at Alexandria, which set back medical science and research centuries of work.  The significance of those that published and researched for the good of all of mankind was lost because their only legacy left to the ages was also lost, burnt in a fire.

Simply put, humans only have significance because we give each other significance.  It is only in society can we have any effect on the scheme of things.  Without society, we are nothing.  You can not rebel against a society that does not exist, you can not progress a society that does not exist, you can not influence, control, manifest or do any like action on a society that does not exist.  If you look up the term significance in the dictionary, you are returned with this: the quality of being worthy of attention; importance.  When you really think about it, our whole existence is in no way signifiant.  If there was any cataclysmic event that were to wipe us out, a mass extinction of man, there would be nothing left of us.  No one, even if there were other intelligent forms of life, would know or hear about what we have endured, what we have created, or what we have suffered.  Without knowing, there is no “importance” in our existence because any step toward progress will eventually be forgotten to the cosmos and to time.

As I said this is all relative to the global scheme of things.  As long as there is society, we all have some individual significance.  We all effect those around us, for the good or for the worse and we all have some small local meaning and “importance.”  It would be an imprudent decision now to stop striving for progress because the in the present, the end of our species currently is unforeseeable.  However our significance as a species overall will eventually run out with time, but in the present, as long as there is a present, we will maintain our importance and significance.

“Six Characters in Search of an Author”: Reality or Fiction

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This play has most definitely sparked the question of what is real and what is fiction.  Even out of the context of the play reality is always something that is relative to the viewer.  Everyone has their own interpretation of what they see this interpretation cultivates their own reality.  This individualized reality explains why there is such a large variance in the comments made about the play.  There are those who believe that the characters were never real and therefore the daughter and son never died, and there are those that believe everything that occurred on stage was real (at least in the sense of the play).  It all depends on perception.

I personally believe that within the realm of the play, the characters that appeared on stage were real people.  The events that transpired on the stage were real in the play.  These characters were not simply fictional but real living people. This point can be made when the father talks to the director about the nature of his work, after the director claims the father is a madman.  The father rebuts, stating that the director himself is the true madman, making the stories of fiction into reality when there are already real stories going on in reality that do not need to be dramatized.  The father’s family, the characters, were symbolic of this.  Their entire lives had turned out to be one giant tragic plot and in the end they wanted their story to be told, and an ending of their story to come.

These characters provide a dynamic view of reality.  As I mentioned before there is no single reality, as every person has their own perception of it.  Every single character has their own perception, they all provide a piece of the overall picture and interpreted different events in different ways.  They all made the story a more realistic one, and was also a source of great confusion from many onlookers.  Nevertheless all the pounding emotions led to the intrigue of the director and with each passing minute of the director he had become more and more enamored by the stunning story.  As the family members were going on about their miserable and bleak lives, the director would make some remark such as “Brilliant” or “Perfect” indicating his isolation from the family’s tale, for he was just one of the audience right now, taking everything in and looking at what riches this play can bring him once performed on stage.  Once the play comes to the close, the girl drowning and the boy shooting himself, the director’s mind is changed on the subject.  He was no longer just the spectator, no longer just the listener, he was in the midst of the action.  The horrible cruelties and drama that the family had was no longer “fiction” to him as he was in the presence of it.

The overall play was bleak and morbid and very much unlike other tragedies.  Generally tragedies were produced and created to allow onlookers to feel a sense of relief that their own lives were not as damaged as the lives of the characters.  However after this play I could not leave feeling any more thankful for my own life with the lack of as significant hardships, but leaving upset with the unfolding of all the events in such an unexpected and horrible climax.

Performance at Carnegie Hall

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My apologies to Professor Drabik for being delinquent in posting until this time.

This was my second time seeing an orchestra perform at Carnegie Hall. The first time I attended such a concert I was 12 years old. I went as a favor to my dad, who was going to see one of his students perform. To a 12 year old, the idea of seeing classical music live may not be overly thrilling, but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed the performance.

So, six years later, I again find myself, once again seeing a classical performance. I found the most captivating piece in this concert to be “The Tempest.” I feel every movement was perfectly executed by the orchestra. I think the contrast within the piece itself between the movements also contributed to my profound enjoyment of it. I will definitely be open to attending more concerts of this nature in the future.

Discussion on Dawn

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We have not discussed this poem in last week’s seminar, so I thought I might try to describe one to the best of my ability. Also, this poem matches the timing I am posting this at.

“Dawn” uses a gloomy tone to explain events and feelings of New Yorkers. People feel like there is no hope, paradise, or love in the mornings. They are very sleepy and feel like if they had an enormous struggle to wake up. The poem seems to ask the question: why would any one want to wake up?

It is very confusing and more gloomy than necessary. I have noticed that almost everyone in the subway was sleepy, but I believe that the city is pretty clean in the mornings. For example, the public bathrooms have been cleaned and no one has used them yet.

A Song From an Insomniac

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I couldn’t sleep at all tonight for some reason…

Although most people would hate this, I actually like the fact that I’m awake at this hour. I can do whatever I want and get myself in my own little world. Now nothing sets the tone without a little bit of music.

At this time of night, I feel that there is only a small selection of music one should choose from. The music that is chosen has to be light as it compliments the serenity of the night, but it really shouldn’t be anything that keeps you asleep.

Anyways, here is my example of one of those songs:

Reaction to Carnegie Hall

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Going to Carnegie Hall on Thursday night was a fun experience.

The place itself was amazing. It is so grand and regal. That definitely left an image that’s hard to forget. Like the place, the performance was unforgettable too.

Although I am not a fan of classical music, I really enjoyed what was played that night. It was really captivating and I was energized with every performance. I was confused at how some of us were sleeping… (Not naming any names haha.)

I think the most memorable thing from that night wasn’t the music, but the instruments themselves. As the way the violins moved as they were played, it looked almost like a synchronized dance. It was just surreal.

Carnegie Hall

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This was definitely one of the more relaxing performances we have been on. Our past visits to performances required us to listen as well as watch what was happening on stage, and understand the plots, and the artist’s intent but for this performance, I was able to just close my eyes and listen. There were less boundaries in this performance, since the music predominately appealed to our ears, I felt more freedom to sit back, relax, close my eyes. The funny thing about this performance was that I felt more engaged with what was happening on stage even though I wasn’t watching. My heart rate would increase and I would feel nervous and tense when the music escalated to match the plot’s climax, and the story I was creating in my head that went along with the music would also change accordingly. When I did open my eyes, I loved watching the first violinist’s movements, she really had a stage presence among the many musicians surrounding her. Maybe it was her seating position on stage or the way she used her whole body to play the violin, it was just captivating. Not only her, but every musician seemed to show a bit of their own personality and style of playing in the way they moved to the music. I really appreciate how music can affect your mood, and the different senses that it indirectly affects. Relating this back to Fall for Dance, when many responses (myself included) were about music and how it made the listeners feel, I could feel the uneasiness of the situation in Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest and jumping on the bandwagon, this piece was easily my favorite from Thursday’s performance.

— Chloe Chai

Carnegie Hall Experience

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This was my second time going to an orchestra, the first time I went was back in Korea. This was when I was very little, and I ended up leaving the orchestra with my brother early to play outside. It was way too boring for me to just sit there and listen. However, this time, it was different. I listened and watched all the movements on the stage. The movement of the conductor, the movement through the music, and the movement of the singers were all interesting. The music went from soft to hard and the transition was very smooth as well.

Carnegie Hall definitely looks amazing from the outside as well as in the inside. I passed by Carnegie Hall several time and always wondered what the inside would look like, and it did not disappoint me. Although the seats were uncomfortable, it was a great experience and would love to visit again.

St. Luke’s Orchestra At Carnegie Hall

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The performance we saw on Thursday was incredibly memorable and engaging.

First off: Carnegie Hall. Amazing! The building was beautiful, the interior was beautiful and the hall gave off an intense vibe of culture. It was simply a joy to be there and moreso to see a performance there. As soon as I saw the hall, I could not help but snap a picture.

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Onto the performance: all of the pieces were fairly great. They were all perfectly complemented by the mesmerizing conducting of Pablo Heras-Casado, who gave a whole other level of energy to the performance. That was the moment I realized how truly integral a good conductor is to a good performance. One piece in particular etched itself into my mind: Mendelssohn’s “Die erste Walpurgisnacht” (The First Walpurgis Night). The narrative involved with this piece made me look forward to it even before the show had started. When the orchestra played it and the singers sang with their powerful voices, I was absolutely mesmerized. The innate story of the piece also appealed to me deeply: an oppressed group winning out against the majority. The ending of the piece was also, by far, my favorite part of the entire night.

Afterwards, an evening spent at the diner with the rest of the class made for an extremely memorable night.

An Animated Passion

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For me, listening to the wonderfully spectacular classical music was only 90% of the performance. The other 10% came from actually looking at the musicians play their instruments. While looking at the orchestra as a whole, one cannot help but notice how animated it is. You have the violin player gracefully moving her bow to and fro. You have the cello player tapping his feet to keep the rhythm. You have the percussionist, every now and then, getting out of his chair, reaching for his cymbals and preparing for his grand moment. Each and every musician in the orchestra was animated in some manner. I wondered to myself why this was. I questioned it in my mind. Surely, they have played these pieces numerous times. I doubt that it has the same awe-inspiring effect as it does to the audience.

Then it hit me! It all came down to one word: Passion. To these musicians, playing Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest or Purcell’s Suite from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is something much more than a simple gig at Carnegie Hall.  To them, it is a part of their passion. Playing a crisp, clean note, rising and falling perfectly to crescendos and decrescendos, and ignoring the disturbance of syncopation is part of who they are. Playing the piece of music perfectly is their goal for that night. Perfection, in fact, is their goal in life. Their passion takes control of them, both mentally and physically. A musician, truly engulfed by his or her passion, cannot help but physically feel the music. One notices the swaying to the pace of the music, and the sharp leans and head turns as the music makes sudden changes. You can only imagine that the musicians are seconds away from jumping out of their chairs with excitement! Even the conductor himself, who is in charge of guiding these talented musicians, is under the influence of his own passion. You cannot help but notice him bump and two-step to the music, or should I say his and the orchestra’s music.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral- Christopher Chong, Justin Roach, Lucius Seo

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St. Patrick's Cathedral 1

 

“There exists in this era, for thoughts written in stone, a privilege absolutely comparable to our current freedom of the press. It is the freedom of architecture.”

-Victor Hugo, Notre Dame de Paris

Some people say that the cathedral is built large so that we can feel the great distance between God and us. Some people say that the cathedral is built so beautifully to show the political power of the Catholic church. Some people say many things in front of the cathedral, watching the edifice in fear, like the way the Romans would mutter their quibbles at profanum, lurking around the boundary between what they hope to be sacred and what they hope to be vulgar.

Cathedral tells a story. It is not built magnificent to drive away people who, as Socrates would put it, speak as they do in the marketplace. Back in the time when not everyone had the privilege to learn, cathedral was a great building which told stories to the illiterates. It is an experiment ground on which many things can happen; the very first of all civil rights movements and one of the greatest petitions for freedom.

The beauty of all cathedrals that broke the boundary between the vulgar and sacred, common and noble, rich and poor, is also seen in the story of St. Patrick. Although he was once captured and enslaved in Ireland, he chose to come back to the so-called barbarians. He did not force the people into belief through violence; he took the shamrock, which was a sacred plant to the people who lived there, and explained the concept of Trinity.

St. Patrick's Cathedral 2St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in that sense, is exemplary. It was a shelter for the Catholics in New York. Its foundation is the same as that of America: freedom, equality, coexistence, harmony, and all traits thought to be admirable and American. The true art of St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not from the aesthetics, but from the value and motive, which still lives today.

Taking a look at the Cathedral’s architecture, the building has a neo-Gothic style structure. The Cathedral started it’s construction in 1858, but didn’t finish building until 1878, which was in part due to the Civil War. Today, the church is open to public visits daily, except when mass is being held. It is located on 5th avenue, between 50th and 51st street at the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

We really believe that a visit to St. Patrick’s is worth anyone’s time. Currently it is under a massive 5-year renovation project, but it is still open. If you ever take a stroll through midtown and have the time, do go visit.

 

~Christopher Chong, Justin Roach, Lucius Seo

St. Luke the Magnificent, Plus Crazy Guy

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Ahhh, where shall I start?

I was anticipating that this night would be a great night. It definitely was. Like Pun, this is my first time stepping into the Carnegie Hall. I couldn’t stop looking around at the architecture of the place. The architecture was simple, everything was very smooth and rounded, and surprisingly I didn’t see a fancy chandelier hanging down from the middle of the hall. This all adds up and concurs with the fact that Carnegie Hall has one of best acoustics of any halls. It was probably one of the nicest halls I’ve seen as well. Even with seats up in the balcony everything sounded very crystal clear 🙂

On to the pieces: I think all the performances were executed very well, though I personally preferred the first half of the performance prior to the intermission.

Henry Purcell’s Suite from A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Appetizer! What a great way to start! The pieces were very hip and flow very nicely for me. It reminds me of the Bach Invention pieces. In those pieces, the right hand would usually play a part, and the left hand would play the same part after the right hand stopped while the right hand accompanied, and so on. It has a back and forth feel, and thats how I felt when I heard the Purcell piece. I especially like these two, i-I and ii-VII. Here is the full suite for the orchestra:

And here is ii-VII:

Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest, Op. 18: This piece was probably the main course! Tchaikovsky was extremely talented in creating this piece, and it was executed very well by our conductor Pablo Heras-Casado! I especially enjoyed the sudden soft and loudness of the piece, which makes me feel very calm one minute, while alert the next! I was especially attention to the violinist, who’s bow was flickering at the speed of light at one point in the piece. This piece reminded me another piece that I enjoy hearing as well, Robert W. Smith’s The Divine Comedy: I. Inferno. This piece is based on Dante’s Inferno, and creates a auditory stimuli through how Dante perceived hell was like. Here is a performance of the piece (this is played by a band, not an orchestra):

 

 

Luigi Dallapiccola’s Piccola Musica Notturna: I don’t really have much to say. The piece was executed fine, but I didn’t feel that this piece was as rich as the others, especially the first 2.

Felix Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60: I don’t know how I feel about this piece. The sing along part was definitely a plus, plus the ending was probably the best part about this piece. I guess this piece was the long and fulfilling dessert the finished the course of dinner!

Ahh, how can we forget, crazy man in front of the hall.

Just when we thought the night was over, a random man, presumably drunk, approached us and started talking to me. No fear, the guy just was trying to make new friends, gave me a fist pound, and talk about the cops of Connecticut, some cause and affect, and murmured some other stuff. Thanks for the reassurance guys LOL

And then, diner after diner, time for some diner food! 😀

 

~Christopher Chong

“The Tempest”

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I share the awe that many of my classmates experienced after listening to Tchaikovsky’s “The Tempest.” This was certainly my favorite performance from the four that we saw at Carnegie Hall because it was very engaging since the piece seemed to tell a story, yet at the same time this performance was calm and pleasant. I was utterly surprised at how well the piece portrayed a serene and yet, an eerie atmosphere at the sea. It seemed as if we were in fact hearing the sea rather than an orchestra. Further, the piece perfectly flowed through an occurrenMiranda_-_The_Tempest_JWWce of events in Shakespeare’s play.

Tchaikovsky is a VIRTUOSO in his contributions to classical music. However, our conductor Pablo Heras-Casado also deserves many compliments because he was spectacular in the manner which he led the orchestra in playing Tchaikovsky’s work. The music and the instruments lived along side with him. He lived with every note played through his body motioning, it seemed as if channeled the music through his body.

P.S. By the way, this is what was happening in the piece:

“Starting with the sea, the uninhabited island, the mighty and forbidding figure of the magician Prospero, then switching to the graceful and womanly Miranda, rather like the primordial Eve, she has never laid eyes on any breed of man (besides Prospero), until struck by the tempest she is flung ashore with the handsome youth Ferdinand; they fall in love with each other, and I think at this point in the first half of the overture there should be a wonderful and poetic motif, as Miranda gradually becomes more animated and leaves behind her childhood innocence to become a young woman in love. In the second half of the overture her and Ferdinand’s passion should already be in full sail, as they embrace the fires of love… the middle section of the overture would be grouped into three main sections: the half-beast Caliban, the enchanted spirit Ariel, and his chorus of elves. The overture ought to end by depicting Prospero’s renunciation of his magic powers, the blessing of the young couple’s union, and the return to the mainland.”

-Angelika

 

Carnegie Hall Experience

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I never really listen to classical music or orchestral performances on my own, but this was a very enjoyable experience. This was certainly my favorite performance that we have seen for this class. The music was so relaxing that I could just sit back and let it happen. At other performances, I have always tried to analyze what is going on and what it could all mean, but with this performance I just sat back and enjoyed it. I think part of the reason why is that I knew I would not be able to really critique the music, but also because its was just a very relaxing performance. My favorite piece from the night was Tchaikovsky’s piece from The Tempest, as it was very engaging. The atmosphere at Carnegie Hall was also fantastic, as the building was amazing and despite having balcony seats, the stage was clear and the music was easy to hear. This is definitely a performance I would want to repeat.

Continuing in this “tragedy or comedy” (or “absurdities”?) track

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Perhaps both at the same time, as intended by Pirandello: tragedy  (the story of the messy family drama Six Characters are trying to relate) and comedy (the story of a rehearsal unexpectedly interrupted by those 6Ch.).

The play (not the play-within-the play, but the Six Characters in Search of an Author strikes me as extraordinarily clear-headed & logical, in fact even cool in its detached observations of us, humans – in life not very apt at logic and often not aware of our weaknesses & emotional tangles.

And perhaps our confusions here (yes, in plural – as evidenced by your numerous, great posts: rich in observations, right in the impulse to question!), vis-a-vis this play, are not due to the complexity of the play itself, but exactly to our human uncertainties and paradoxes.

The Irish Hunger Memorial – Joshua Chu, Tony Chu & Chris Pun

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Irish Hunger Memorial - Rear View

The Irish Hunger Memorial was created by architect Brian Tolle and landscape designer Gail Wittwer-Laird. They envisioned the hilly landscape of rural Ireland and transferred it to the flat NYC Financial District through the ingenious use of stone pillars and concrete overhangs.

Its main purpose is to remind viewers of the experiences of many Irish farmers in the Great Famine of Ireland, and that purpose is evident in the design of the structure. The viewer sees what the impoverished farmer sees.

The elevated concrete platform holds the cottage, grassy hill, path and stones present in that era. The pillars that hold up the platform are striped with backlit words that tell the tales of all the survivors of the Famine. The structure provides a view of the Statue of Liberty beyond the treetops–a symbol of an Irish potato farmer’s sight on freedom.

The words that wrap around the pillars tell powerful stories of the suffering that the Irish went through so they cannot forget: The viewer reads about the horrific events of the Famine and feels what the impoverished farmer feels.

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Mr. William Gregory, MP rose to propose the following Clause: And be it further Enacted, That no person who shall be in the occupation, whether under lease or agreement, or as Tenant-at-will, or from year to year, or in any other matter whatsoever, of any land of greater extent than the quarter of a statute acre, shall be deemed and taken to be a destitute poor person under the provision of this Act, or of any former Act of Parliament; nor shall it be lawful for any board of guardians to grant any relief whatever in or out of the workhouse, to any such occupier, his wife, or children.
The Poor Relief Bill: The Gregory Clause. House of Commons. 29 March 1847

When paraphrased, this Act of Parliament says, ‘No one who has more than 0.25 acres of land can be considered a poor person and no one is permitted to help this person in any way whatsoever.’ That is both disgusting and memorable.

This memorial impales the viewer’s senses with sights and words that make him see if he hasn’t yet seen and makes him remember while he hasn’t completely forgotten the horrors of the Great Famine. It is art just as poems and memorials about 9/11 are art, maybe even more so because of the magnitude of the tragedy it describes.

Pirandello’s play

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Here is the text of the play of  Six Characters in Search of an Author, by Luigi Pirandello, trans. from the Italian by Edward Storer

http://www.planetmonk.com/dramageeks/scripts/sixcharacters.pdf

And a review by Robert Hurwitt in the San Francisco Chronicle (Nov. 8, 2014), with two good photos, of the performance we saw (by the troupe Théâtre de la Ville, dir. by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota), but performed already in California:

http://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Theater-review-Pirandello-from-Paris-to-Cal-5880375.php