"Mindflux": Richard Foreman and the American Experimental Theatre of our Times.

I really want to share these short videos around a new film about Richard Foreman's life work, Mindflux (http://mindfluxfilm.com/), but also some videos that talk about the experimental theatre in USA, where, saying the truth, there is almost no place for it.

Richard Foreman has been a myth without head in my educational life, kind of confusing information coming from his work in theatre, and little by little I've found clues about his legacy. I've never seen a Foreman's work live, but I've seen some productions at his Ontological-Hysteric Theatre venue in New York. 

These videos and what those people in there tell about Foreman's work and theatre making, help me to understand the sourness of American experimental theatre since 1970.

Video Trailer: Mindflux. A Film about Richard Foreman

mindFLUX Teaser from mindFLUX on Vimeo.

Exclusive bonus video from mindFLUX: "On Experimental Theater" from mindFLUX on Vimeo.
Eric Bogosian reflects upon the challenges of being in theater and the importance of knowing your audience.

Exclusive bonus video from mindFLUX: "Authentic Genius" from mindFLUX on Vimeo.
Academy Award winning actor F. Murray Abraham relays the significance of working with experimental playwright, director and designer Richard Foreman.

Exclusive bonus video from mindFLUX: Dafoe on Foreman from mindFLUX on Vimeo.
Actor Willem Dafoe, interviewed here in November 2009, describes working with Foreman in the 1980's.

Exclusive bonus video from mindFLUX: "What Did He See?" from mindFLUX on Vimeo.
Lili Taylor describes moving to NYC in the 1970's and tells of her first experience acting in a Richard Foreman play.

Puppet Performance during the Chinese Cultural Revolution Age (1972)

"Chung Kuo Cina" (Puppet scene) Directed by M. Antonioni

In 1972 Micheangelo Antonioni was invited by the Chinese government (It is said it was Den Xiaoping among them) to make a film about the new China, that China immersed inside its Cultural Revolution. Antonioni filmed whatever his Chinese advisers wanted, whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted; everything was well prepared to make an ideological document of the Maoist era. When the final product was released the government was furious and banned the film (1) .

"Chung Kuo Cina" (Puppet scene) Directed by M. Antonioni

The documentary is simple but clear and even rebel, showing everything the Chinese government wanted to show but edited in the way the spectator was absolutely able to understand the difficult moment Chinese people were living in those years.

The scene I want to show from the documentary is a puppet performance at Chang'An theatre, a simple stage production with real size puppets imitating the playing of a musical orchestra.

"Chung Kuo Cina" (Public in the Puppet scene) Directed by M. Antonioni

Antonioni opened the camera to the public, showing their faces, their waiting for the performance, and the presence of the people stayed there with the sound of their laugh during the theatrical act. Then, the performance came as an example of the Socialist Realism in Cultural Revolution age, nothing engaged with the traditional way to do Puppet theatre: costume as in the real life, children or teenagers with healthy faces and bodies, showing security and happiness while they were playing.

"Chung Kuo Cina" (Puppet scene) Directed by M. Antonioni

The acting technique seems very professional and well worked, even if the performance is so simple some of the puppets expresses "life" in their actions; the best example is the girl playing the er-hu (that kind of violin or small cello), she seems (like a real girl) enjoying her performance.

(1) The documentary had its first view for the public inside China in 2005.