Maria Laura and myself presented “Notes from the Underworld” at Bewleys Cafe Theatre last night, the 7th of Nov 2007. The “show” was introduced by writer Ronan Sheehan , who in the manner of a Dublin Virgil, the guide to Dante’s Inferno, spoke of connections and stories linking Ireland and Italy.
Maria Laura’s recitation of Dante and Beckett was intense and kept the audience transfixed. Her dramatic presence is truly rare. Her own powerful songs were woven with the poetry .
My images were projected on a screen on the background, working in tune with the poetry and songs. I keep learning from these sessions. I want to develop the presentation so that the screen is larger and the performer is moving within the image. The resolution of the images can also improve and the collaboration with a singer means that I have strong lights to contend with, which can and sometimes does weaken the images, especially the colored ones. I also want to make some more (not many ) more drawings, I seem to have focused more on Dante than on Beckett, so this is a chance for me to read some of the latter’s poetry and to work visually from that. In spite of this, I was satisfied enough with the work, the marriage of words and images really does seem to create something new and it works. It seems that Beckett particularly believed in the need to combine these mediums, to use the directness of images to bypass the more linear , cognitive mind. His plays are often filled with strong visual props.
The little Cafe Theater was packed, in fact we unfortunately had to turn away many people, so we apologise to any of our friends who didn’t get in, we will do it again and we hope that you will give us another try. The event is being shown in Italy (see Divine Comedy) and will return to Dublin soon, watch this space for details.
Notes from the Underworld at La Catedral | Art & Yoga by Paola
[...] showing in Bewleys cafe last year, this music/poetry and visual art event has been shown in many Roman venues and it is now [...]
Oct 02, 2008 @ 2:16 pm