Performing Arts Series: 'Spokaoke,' part of 'Algorithmic Theater'
“Creative energy sparking through the space”
—New York Theatre Review
Spokaoke (2012) invites the audience to perform speeches as they would ordinarily perform songs in a karaoke bar. This participatory event plays with the legacy of spoken artifacts, treating snippets and snatches of public address like a Top 40 radio of collective discourse.
Over a hundred texts are available on the karaoke system and arranged in a catalog that audience members can peruse. Some texts are familiar to the point of iconic status (“I have a dream,” “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”), while others are lesser-known. Texts come from a wide variety of sources and eras — Socrates’ trial speech, Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman,” Colonel Qaddafi at the United Nations. All texts are in English.
Hearing the speeches in relation to each other reveals new connections between them, as distinct moments of socio-historical urgency collide in unpredictable and unexpected ways. Politics, philosophy, pop culture — which speech will you choose?
ARTISTIC TEAM
Creation: Annie Dorsen
Sound design: Vladimir Kudryatsev and Uli Ertl
Assistance: Lola Harney
Management: Natasha Katerinopoulos
CO-PRODUCERS
Spokaoke is a co-production of steirischer herbst (Graz, AT) and Black Box Teater (Oslo, NO).
Bryn Mawr College welcomes the full participation of all individuals in all aspects of campus life. Should you wish to request a disability-related accommodation for this event, please contact the event sponsor/coordinator. Requests should be made as early as possible.