“Lake Ivan” (1980) is a theater piece I made when I was in college. You can see in the piece, in primitive form, all the structural ideas, images, and ideas which I have used in my films and performances since that time. This 31 minute clip contains excerpts from the dress rehearsal for the original 100 minute performance.

The grainy VHS video image is very unclear.

At the center of the piece was a 25 minute scene (shown here in a 1 minute excerpt) which we called the “Ten Ring Circus.” It was an exercise in having a radically decentralized stage image, and it was like showing the audience 10 plays to watch at the same time, and allowing them to choose which parts of the stage to pay attention to. In this scene, you can see original choreography created and performed by Jennifer Monson and Jillana Van Meter, and you can also see composer Bob Goldberg making noises with amplified chopsticks. Singer Chiara Peacock improvises up on the balcony.

The “text” of the piece is as follows:

Ivan, where are you
His supper is ready
Are the grey birds back
There seem to be more of them
Tender Ivan, his plate is gone

The piece was made in collaboration with the performers:
Henry Beer
Benna Cohen
Laura Foulke
Catherine Hayos
Aleksandra Michelle Nemer
Susan Vosburgh