- Taken from : www.w3art.com
A typical Rachel Rosenthal performance can consist of ‘A bald woman with long, black gloves, wearing a fluttery gray-green silk tunic, raps, chants, sings, and screams to the sound of an amplified violin’ (Lampe 1998, p. 170), or anything that can symbolise and express one of her thoughts or feelings. After watching several of her clips I did not know what feelings to feel. This was an aspect of her work that would like to pay with as I believe that good art leaves you with an unclear feeling.
She achieved this by putting pure passion and strength behind each action, each word and even each clip she used. No matter what subject she was addressing, you knew it was her behind it and strongly believed.
She believes that in the process of making a performance you must ‘Take risks, psychologically and physically. Generate your own stuff. Think of everything you do as if it is the only chance in life that you have to do it: now, here, in a particular way. You will never have the chance again’ (Lampe, 1998, p. 170). I am apprehensive of indulging in an aspect of myself, because it may not be interesting, plus if the audience are like me they will not care.
In her performances Rachel Rosenthal has ‘explored her personal life’ for example creating a performance based on her ex- lovers. In contrast to this, she has created performances that ‘focus on social issues which are not specifically feminist (but which are clearly informed by her feminist sensibility)’ (Auslander, 2003, p. 265). I would like to play with the idea of combining the two. Perhaps expressing a feeling I have about myself, or my life, and finding a way of projecting this as an aspect of society. The difficulty will lie in finding something I am prepared to share and that I can be truthful with.
An aspect of Rosenthal’s performance style which I enjoy is how it is highly theatrical in effects and presentation. Aspects of her work resemble Berkoff which is a style of performing I have enjoyed in the past and would like to experiment with.
Performance videos worth watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KdleN0vtUQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtoH2RxbpZc
Auslander, P. (2003) Performance: Critical Concepts in Literary and Cultural Studies. New York and Oxon: Routledge.
Lampe, E. (1988) Rachel Rosenthal Creating Her Selves. The Drama Review , 32 (Spring) 170-190.