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Lynn Hershman: Chain Reaction

About the Exhibition

Chain Reaction: An Environmental ‘Light’ Opera for Fog, Film and Recombinant News, a multimedia performance that was written and designed by well-known San Francisco artist Lynn Hershman (b.1941, Cleveland, OH) and co-produced by Simon Edery, combines the features of a street performance, live drama, opera and film into a unique collage. The action, dialogue, and script were derived from direct use of current news, slightly manipulated.

Chain Reaction involves rear projection of film onto six separate windows on the south side of Alice Tully Hall. Pedestrians become witnesses to an unfolding drama about a PCB spill. The story is told through narrative descriptions in a dialogue that expresses the viewpoints of each of the six characters. The projections are synchronized so that action flows between the windows easily, giving an illusion that characters are “real” and inhabiting the building.

A specially composed musical score by Will Power gives the feeling of a “light” opera. Clues will coax witnesses on the street to solve the “truth” of the event. Preplaced “found” objects on the street, as well as live actors and special effects will add credibility to the descriptions and aid the “real life” effect.

Lisa is played by Jenine Wyatt; Krist by Judy Eichenbaum; Blanche by Nancy Fish; Steve by Will Power; the Doctor by Brent Silvera; Alex by Joseph Samuels. Steve Dolan helped with the story idea, worked on the crew and portrayed the construction worker. Models include J. Keven Bradley, Cynthia Gillette, Francis Lim, Mystique Agency, Jeanette Reed, Yvette and Sandra Zammovich. The voice of ASBESTOS MAN is by Damaen Clark. Lighting by Kayhan Ghodsi. Sound by Hermann Lederle, Susan Desaritza, Paul Halahan. The crew included Suzanned Mailloux, Elizabeth Hummer, Maria Luvollo, Mary Karen Gleason, Michael Shemchuck and students in intermedia at S.U.N.Y. Purchase. Mix by Roy Ramsing and editing by Sprague Anderson. Lisa English prepared a video component as part of Chain Reaction.

Location

Location

Lincoln Center

Alice Tully Hall

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