“In the year of Our Lord 1055, on Sunday the feast day of St. George, the people of Rosdalla, near Kilbeggan in the present county of Westmeath, saw standing high up in the air, a great steeple of fire, in the exact shape of a circular belfry, or what we now call a round tower. For nine hours it remained the re in sight of all: and during the whole time, flocks of large dark-coloured birds without number kept flying in and out through the door and windows. There was among them one great jet-black bird of vast size … Sometimes a number of them would swoop suddenly down, and snatch up in their talons dogs, cats or any other small animal that happened to lie in their way; and when they had risen again to a great height they would drop them dead to the ground. At last they flew away towards a neighbouring woo d; and the moment they left the tower it faded gradually from the peoples’ view. The birds perched on the trees, the great bird choosing a large oak for himself; and so great were their numbers that the branches bent to the ground under their weight. Th ere they remained for some time as if to rest; when suddenly they all rose into the air; and when the great bird was rising he tore the oak tree by the roots from the earth, and carried it off in his talons.”
The above quote is from “The Wonders of Ireland” by P.W.Joyce, “apparently being a compilation of accounts from sources such as the Chronicon Scotorum”. I came upon it while researching the weather. It reveals that it wasn’t so l ong ago that people explained phenomena, in this case a tornado, with images within their popular and mythological experience. (Virtual reality ?) The proscenium stage was the first big-screen multimedia environment. This traditional setting depicts events on a comput er monitor brought to life by multi-talented performers interacting. In other words a (living) simulation of a simulation. The whole point being: in the study of complex systems, where simple systems interact, the phenomenon of emergence occurs. Toy Weather is a metaphor for the virus of technology revealing new structures of popular thought and action; the butterfly effect in your living room. Clear skies and smooth sailing to all.
Thanks to Edward Lorenz for the name Toy Weather.
This is the first installment of an archive of the complete work. Watch for more!
Toy Weather Task Breakdown
W = worker/professor/baseball pitcher
SA = Strange Attractor (dancer)/Nurse
SD = Glider(dancer)/pianist/Nurse
SC = Glider2/Nurse
Cl = Clarinet/singer
GP = Gear controller/Dancer/Lover
AD = African Drummer
LC = Shuttle (ladder climber)/Fisherman
M = MANIAC
P1, P2 = pixels(stage hands)
Scene 1 time: 6 minutes
W enters in darkness and begins lecture #1 when lights come up. On “the Baker is more industrious”, maintaining the motions and illustrations, he also begins changing into baseball costume. On “Publish or perish” pitch first baseball.
SA enters on “In the 1960s Edward Lorenz revealed the beautiful, mask-like shape of a strange attractor.” Reflecting actions of lecturer and eventually moving in a well defined figure-8.
Cl Tacet off stage.
LC moves ladder on from off Left during lecture.
GP brings gear onstage on “the Butcher the Baker…” , waits until first baseball pitch and begins playing.
AD enters pushing the drum slowly, tiredly across from offstage R to position center L during lecture on cue; “It would be easy for us to create a cultural metaphor based on this image. Free jazz, cubist to pointalist, the tower of Babel, the hills are alive with the the sound of music!” lean over drum and wait for chair to be put beneath you. Sit and continue to sleep until first Baseball hit. Begin playing.
M Look out from stage L wing on the word “novelty”. Exit theatre slamming door after word MANIAC. Circle to stage R wing
Scene 2 time: 6 minutes
W throws 6 to 10 balls at hanging metal structure
SA moves in a figure 8 from offstage L rear to center stage R and back in stop action frame by frame realization of the Strange Attractor vocabulary. This may happen 2 or 3 times during this scene.
Cl. moves downstage from upstage L rear to stage left and around in front of the Bass Drum lifting the clarinet twice as he plays, walks around the ladder and back to his starting point.
LC on first baseball pitch begins climbing and playing ladder. Hits Gong at top and bass drum at bottom and continues.
GP high stick slow improv with groove established by African Drummer.
AD starts groove.
M very obviously looks at audience from centre stage R wing (10 sec).
SD pull blackboard offstage; after pitch, push conveyor onstage one ft.
P1 at end of scene, he enters from Stage R centre wing, drops pixel downstage centre, exits stage L
Transition to Scene 3
W picks up pixel, exits downstage R just behind conveyor belt.
SA continue
CL goes offstage L upstage wing
LC when gear player moves gear, LC moves ladder 5 ft downstage (to gearÕs position) and deconstructs.
GP when W picks up pixel, move gear to centre stage.
AD when gear player moves gear, move drum and chair off upstage L as ladder moves down.
M pull conveyor out of sight, move sculpture, exit stageL.
SD move sculpture, exit stage L, rear.
P2 raise Gong 1 and lower Gong 2.
Scene 3/Rotation #1 time: 3 minutes
W Re-enter stage R centre wing and throws 3 to 5 more .
SA moves from offstage left in an oblong variation of 1/2 of a figure 8 (upstage L to downstage center and off downstage L wing. Wait offstage for an equal duration and repeat until end of scene.
Cl plays from off stage wing L centre facing stage and raises the Clarinet into view two times.
LC begin again.
GP continue to play
AD Offstage plays…
M enters and hides behind bass drum, peering over top.
P1 comes out and drops pixel on stage and exit stage R.
Transition to Scene 4
W moves gear table to stage L centre and takes position upstage L.
SA moves ladder offstage L on ( ) pitch.
CL moves to far L upstage corner offstage
SD plays while SA moves ladder offstage. Fade and stop. Leave by the firedoor and circle to the front of house.
GP helps SA move ladder
AD moves on stage, centre stage L
M when ladder moves walk stage R, get behind brick wall and moves with it upstage centre.
SD bring on piano with Andrew G, and pixel upstage R, hanging structure is moved offstage L.
P1 moves conveyor belt out downstage R
Scene 4/Fold #1 time: 4 minutes
W fakes 3 throws into wing. Throws hat on ground. exit stage L, exit theatre, re-enter to stage R wing, putting on overalls.
SA semi circle from offstage left around the gear table and off. Wait and repeat.
CL plays off stage (as upstage as possible) facing away.
LC At the end of M’s text hit gong located behind the audience.
GP plays calm duet with AD and interacts with SA
AD enters in dark and plays soft duet with GP
M when lights come up, edge around wall and perform wall piece
Transition to Scene 5
W at gong note, enters and turns on conveyor belt
CL at gong sound puts down clarinet ad takes pixel across to upstage L piano position then turns wall, lifts blackboard with G, Exit stage R.
LC moves sculpture just on stage L and plays with piano
GP on gong, move gear off stage L
AD on gong, move drum off stage R.
M moves piano into position (Upstage L and sit)
SD work VCR in booth; P2 moves monitor onstage
G turns over piano with M, then with CL lift blackboard off wall and exit stage R.
Scene 5/Rotation #2 time: 5 minutes
W sing/speaks ‘Life in the Factory’ while playing conveyor
SA circle theatre enter stage R wings
LC play with piano
M plays piano on “GOD KNOWS WHAT”
Transition to Scene 6
W after tune, stop playing, strike conveyor, stage R.
SA take one pixel from piano bench and bring it to downstage R, exit and leave theatre, re-enter L wings.
CL strike wall stage R
SD strikes sculpture and puts on rain gear
GP moves ladder onstage centre
AD drops Gong 3 and begins gentle groove offstage L
M plays end of ‘Factory’ while moving piano offstage
P1 brings on fish
Scene 6/Fold#2/Rotation #3 time: 6 minutes
W Tacet (move ladder? during SD solo (rocking boat))
SA standing against upstage L wall in frozen or long time frame movement or a locked set of movements around ladder in figure 8 to off stage R or a circle somewhere alone.
CL moves to downstage wing and plays offstage lifting the Clarinet into view two times .
LC in fisherman gear at top of ladder
GP walks across stage and picks up the pixel upstage Left and drops it near the one downstage R, exits stage R.
AD plays offstage upstage R wing (behind fish)
M plays gentle synth offstage SD plays large shaker
P1 plays marimba mounted to wall offstage R
Transition to Scene 7
W enters and stands between pixels and ladder
SA begins figure-8 from offstage R centre
CL enters and stands between pixels and ladder
LC locks position at top of ladder
GP begins spiral from offstage L towards ladder
AD takes position on pixels
M takes position at pixels
SDS take position at piano
P1 takes position at ladder
Scene 7/Fold#3 time: 5 minutes
SA & GP pas de deux
W, CL, SD, AD, M, P1, P2, support
SD play piano
SC mirror
Transition to Scene 8
all exit, stfiking ladder and pixels
SD bring on drum stage L centre
P2 bring on lecture wall.
Scene 8/Fold #4/Rotation #4 time: 6 minutes
W enters and gives lecture #2
SA enters down stage R and backs off
Cl leaves by the fire door and plays in the lobby toward the end of the lecture
LC HIT GONG ON CINDER BLOCK HOUSE ON WORD ” progress now”
AD sleeps on Drum center stage
M, SD, G, SC, GP clump
Transition to Scene 9
W strikes blackboard
AD strikes drum
Scene 9/Rotation #5 time: 4 minutes
CUE: Helicopter sound and lights
W runs back on stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When at down stage right, turn drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package. Exit stage R rear
SA runs on stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When on (down stage R) drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package.
CL leaves clarinet with technician and run down aisle to stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When at down stage edge drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package.
SD runs from off right to stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When at down stage edge drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surrounds package. (Lift stretcher and carry invalid to downstage.)
GP runs on stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When on upstage(center L) drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package. Exit stage L rear
AD strikes drum and runs back on stage with others, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When on (center L) drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package. Exit stage R rear
M runs on with the rest, singing a note in the Les Mis chord. When on (center L) drop to knees with arms outstretched and wait for the UN drop then run to centre stage with others and surround package.
SD wait in position for nurses
P1, P2 as others above
Transition to scene 10
Everyone moves the bag to upstage R then scatters except P2 and GP who carry CL on stretcher to front of stage
M bring on monitor
Scene 10/Rotation #6 time: 5 minutes
SA Nurses on video monitor from backstage
Cl sings ” Scary on the Operating Table”:
LC cowbell
GP makes way to downstage wing and throws a cube onstage at cue line “see the little wheels spinning”
AD plays guiro and wood block
M plays piano
Transition to Scene 11
CUE: “POWER TOOL, POWER TOOL, POWER TOOL”
W assemble new ladder and takes up downstage centre position
Cl lies on front of downstage lip on his back
SD helps assemble new ladder, puts bass drum downstage L
GP turns fake gear
AD moves to position under audience
M to piano
G move conveyor upstage R
SC & SD automata dance motif
Scene 11/Rotation #7/Fold #5 time: 3 minutes
W improvises text, stands at downstage center Left back to audience and pitches at hanging structure. 6 to 10 balls.
SA on video
Cl. plays clarinet up at the ceiling.
SD plays modified ladder horizontally.
GP plays vertical representation of Gear wheel standing onstage at stage left center wing
AD plays under audience
M wanders fervently
SD & SC automata dance motif P1 mans conveyor
Transition to Scene 12
everything goes away
Scene 12/Final Iteration time: 1 minute
W in spot light faces audience, winds up to throw as lights fade
Everyone else is either very active in very dim light, or tacet.
