GERARD BYRNE (EDITION I)
If you were a man who lived in America in 1963, it's very possible that you might have bought the July/August edition of 'Playboy magazine' and would have read the panel discussion called 1984 and beyond. Playboy often ran these in-depth discussions around the burning issues of the day. This one in 1963 was about the future and comprised of twelve science fiction writers including Arthur C. Clarke (author of 'Space Odyssey 2001') and Rod Serling (creator of the 'Twilight zone').
The reference to 1984 is presumably to George Orwell's famous book, though here it seems to be used more generally as a date to hang all these speculations about the future on. The panelists (all men) discuss how we might imagine our selves many years from now, how we would organise society, population control, warfare, genetic modification, the future of religion and, of course, the possibility finding alien life. As one reads through the discussion its is clear that this genre of science fiction at that time was informed by a very sophisticated knowledge of the sciences.
Of course, the interesting thing about choosing to work with Playboy magazine (like any magazine) is that's it is throw-away, meant to have a shelf life of a week or two. It is, in effect, all about representing or selling the present moment. The artist, Gerard Byrne, is interested in exploring this idea of what happens when you take such text right here (in Den Bosch), right now, (in August 2005) and re-enact a conversation had in 1963 about a time in the future, 1984. To this end, Byrne will create a live reading of this discussion at Theatrefestival Boulevard, working with twelve actors.
The artist is not interested in making a perfect reproduction of the moment or pretending to recreate the panel discussion as accurately as possible but rather to explore what the concerns of actors, theatre makers (and later filmmakers) are, as they try to recreate such a scenario. Considerable concentration will also be spent on the idea of costumes, and indeed on the idea of how the actors might embody these non-fictional characters as they enact 1984 and beyond. The re-enactment will then be filmed and shown in de VeenFabriek in Leiden as part of If I Can't Dance...
The reference to 1984 is presumably to George Orwell's famous book, though here it seems to be used more generally as a date to hang all these speculations about the future on. The panelists (all men) discuss how we might imagine our selves many years from now, how we would organise society, population control, warfare, genetic modification, the future of religion and, of course, the possibility finding alien life. As one reads through the discussion its is clear that this genre of science fiction at that time was informed by a very sophisticated knowledge of the sciences.
Of course, the interesting thing about choosing to work with Playboy magazine (like any magazine) is that's it is throw-away, meant to have a shelf life of a week or two. It is, in effect, all about representing or selling the present moment. The artist, Gerard Byrne, is interested in exploring this idea of what happens when you take such text right here (in Den Bosch), right now, (in August 2005) and re-enact a conversation had in 1963 about a time in the future, 1984. To this end, Byrne will create a live reading of this discussion at Theatrefestival Boulevard, working with twelve actors.
The artist is not interested in making a perfect reproduction of the moment or pretending to recreate the panel discussion as accurately as possible but rather to explore what the concerns of actors, theatre makers (and later filmmakers) are, as they try to recreate such a scenario. Considerable concentration will also be spent on the idea of costumes, and indeed on the idea of how the actors might embody these non-fictional characters as they enact 1984 and beyond. The re-enactment will then be filmed and shown in de VeenFabriek in Leiden as part of If I Can't Dance...
'1984 and Beyond', filmstills
