Cotfg: Josh Ronsen Production Of Stacked Deck

What: “Stacked Deck” (a unique theater piece) When: February 28, 2015, 5pm Where: Savage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd, Austin, Texas Who: Josh Ronsen, Brent Fariss, members of No Shame Theater and Austin New Music Co-op Why: Creativity is fun, and like a shark, the human spirit must move forward “Stacked Deck” is the 1959 experimental theater piece by Fluxus artist Dick Higgins and is being produced by Josh Ronsen with help from the Church of the Friendly Ghost. The piece gives the 13 actors individual rules to perform specified actions for sound and light cues. A blue light may cause an actor to enter the stage, another to exit, and a third to speak, sing or use a prop, each of these actions may cue other actors to react. The actions may repeat, in increasingly bizarre combinations. Think of how many of your daily actions are inspired by sound cues (alarm clocks, ringing door bells) and light cues (traffic lights, sun sets). The actors are drawn from Austin's wealth of improvisational actors, dancers and musicians, including No Shame Theater and the Austin New Music Co-op. This is not Ronsen and the Church of the Friendly Ghost's first contact with the work of Dick Higgins. In 2004, Ronsen produced the FLUX CAFE at the original Church space, in which individual Fluxus event scores were purchased, paid for and then performed by members of the Austin New Music Co-op, including works by Higgins, most notably “Danger Music No. 2,” during which someone's head was shaved. Stacked Deck will provide the same level of fun, delight and novel exploration into human behavior. Dick Higgins (1938-1998) was a pioneer in the new art of the 1960s and was a noted composer, poet, publisher (Something Else Press) and performance artist involved with the radical art group Fluxus. He coined the term “intermedia” to describe the new way artists were combining forms during this time. This one-time performance of “Stacked Deck” will give Austin a brief taste for the wild experimentation of 1960's New York City. A live electronic music score will be performed by Brent Fariss. Josh Ronsen is a musician, artist and writer working on many projects, including the LSJ music trio with Lisa Cameron and Shawn David McMillen, an ever-growing collection of tiny art works which was recently displayed at Malvern Books, and his Monk Mink Pink Punk music/art publication, which just printed its 26th issue. His musical compositions explore playing based on audience action, Kabalah rules, descriptions of sounds found in science fiction novels and the far edges of human listening. Associated with a new generation of Fluxus artists, his event scores and been published and performed around the world. The cast for this performance includes Luke Wallens, Paul Normandin, Seth Johnson, Alex Keller, Josh Ronsen, Kerri Lendo, Shannon McCormick, Christine Schiele, Cassidy Santaguida, Mari Akita, Laura Brackney, Jennifer Hecker, Julie Nathanielsz, Brent Fariss Church of the Friendly Ghost is a 100% volunteer-run arts organization supporting creative expression and counter-culture community. Established in the fall of 2003, they have presented approximately one thousand events to date including concerts, art exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and other adventurous cultural activities. http://www.churchofthefriendlyghost.org/ http://ronsen.org