Spatial Dialogues

a conceptual multimedia performance


written and directed by

Harry Gamboa Jr.



produced by

Jaime Villaneda




Live Performers

Yvonne Regalado-Martin

Francesco Siqueiros


Audio Performers

Ruben Guevara

Linda Gamboa

Slide Performers

Gronk

Humberto Sandoval

Paulina Sahagún

Edward Sanchez

Ruben Guevara

SLIDE PROJECTOR #A:  SLIDES 1-13

SLIDE PROJECTOR #B:  SLIDES 1-13

AUDIO CASSETTE #1:

Man's monologue (approximately 4 minutes)

I never wanted to be so close to the sea,
I mean, I’ve never been in turmoil with land masses,
What I intended to say was, I’m afraid of innuendo.

Someone spread a rumor that was catastrophic,
No, really, it wasn’t an act of hatred but a mindless commitment to form.

Wait, don’t desecrate me,
Don’t kiss me for wanting,
Words escape me.

I was enjoying the momentary absence
I was deleting your image
I was lost on the smoggy plateau
But that was a dreamer’s prerogative
No, I never witnessed the executions
I don’t own a gun
It was like being a target
I was shot in the moral confusion.

ACTION #1 (approximately 3 minutes):

Yvonne and Francesco walk on stage and crawl along the walls. They turn their attention to the table and sit, drink from cups and nibble on food. Yvonne goes to microphone and reads from notebook. Francesco lies atop table and remains motionless:

Yvonne:

I promised myself that I would never read
Anything that was written in permanent ink
I’m allergic to acid-free paper
I don’t like words that hurt my teeth
Aesthetics...
Owww!!!!!
Collectable.....
Yaowww!!!!
Artist...
Ouch!!!!!!!
I don’t want to add to the numbing drone
I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been assaulted
By eyesores
In a city
That celebrates artificial turf wars
Beauty!!!
Owww!!!!!
Acquisition!!!!
Yaowww!!!!
Elitist...
Ouch!!!!!!!

Yvonne returns to chair at table covering her mouth with her hands.

VIDEO CASSETTE 1 (approximately 4 minutes):

Woman’s monologue (Linda Gamboa):

I never wanted to be so close to the sea,
I mean, I’ve never been in touch with the sky,
What I intended to say was, I’m afraid of heights.

Someone carved out a special place for my heart and buried it,
No, really, it wasn’t an act of love but a social commitment to form.

Wait, don’t forget me,
Don’t forgive me for waiting,
Words escape me.

I was enjoying the momentary absence
I was disfiguring your image
I was lost among the disgrace
But that was from a different place
No, I never saw what it was that appealed to them
I applauded anyway
It was like waving at monkeys
I was enjoying the primal confusion.



ACTION #2 (approximately 3 minutes):

Francesco gets up from table . He removes his shoes. He walks to microphone .

Francesco:

I was born in Los Angeles.
I live in a studio near the L.A. River.

He removes his coat.

I need a happy ending
I watch TV a lot.

He switches the TV set on and he sits down to watch the static-filled screen.

Yvonne goes to microphone and reads from notebook.

Yvonne:

Every time I write a few words into my journal, my pen is stolen or my pencil bursts into flames. I can’t recall the previous sentence. Periods and commas jump across the page like crazed fleas.

Here are a few passages:

This painting must be upside down.
The walls are crumbling.
My surveillance image is the icon of our time.

Her attention is drawn to the TV. Yvonne and Francesco laugh as though they seen something funny on TV.



SLIDE PROJECTOR C: SLIDES 1-21

AUDIO CASSETTE 2 (approximately 4 minutes):

Man’s monologue (Ruben Guevara):

Maybe I’ll become disoriented
Think of my work as an art of life
Lose the basis of all that is menacing
Forget that I killed birds as a child.

When you tremble there
When you preoccupy my attention
When you disoblige
When you assume that it is death
When you associate
Then there is nothing that I can say
That will suppress your joy
Than what can be accorded
By simple acts
That are laced with threats
Everything defies interrogation
But you are too vibrant
You estrange my emotions
You enrapture me with your warmth.

ACTION #3 (approximately 4 minutes)

Francesco takes Ivonne’s notebook into his hands. He goes to microphone and reads from notebook.

Francesco:

I can see the islands in the distance
Neighborhoods that don’t belong in the panorama
The freeway slices my perceptions
If only they would all collide
Maybe the horizon could tilt
The few that would fall off
Would never be missed.

Yvonne takes the notebook from Francesco. He picks up the socks and places them over his hands. He crawls under the table and remains there until the next action. Yvonne goes to microphone and reads from notebook.

Yvonne:

I can see the ethnocentricity in the distance
It must be double vision
The freeway is my life line
If only I could exit at the nearest off ramp
Maybe the earth would offer a sinkhole
I could enter a more dangerous place
I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Yvonne walks to face the wall.



VIDEO CASSETTE 2 (approximately 4 minutes):

Woman’s monologue (Linda Gamboa):

Maybe I’ll become disoriented
Think of my life as a work of art
Lose the basis of all that is meaningful
Forget that I ate dirt as a child.

When you stand there
When you look in my direction
When you dissolve
When you assume that it is time
When you associate
Then there is nothing that I can do
That will do you more harm.

Than what can be accomplished
By simple words
That are laced around your neck.

Everything defies interpretation
But you are too brilliant
You deny that it means anything
You warp the sharp edges.

Elegant is a flower that tastes like fine plastic
Immunity to chaos
Internalize your instincts
Waste innocence.

I don’t often realize what it is that they are saying
Why do they speak to me in such a tone?

I can’t be seen around here
They’ve threatened to burn my eyes.

Maybe it is a matter of private ownership
To safeguard the legacy...
Something about the public trust
Or mistrust of the individual.

I smeared paint on my face
Leaned against a famous image.


ACTION #4 (approximately 4 minutes):

Yvonne and Francesco place chairs atop the table and tape it all into a unified structure using various rolls of colored tape. They both sit on the floor when audio tape is played.

SLIDE PROJECTOR #A: SLIDES 14-28

SLIDE PROJECTOR #B: SLIDES 14-28

AUDIO CASSETTE 3 (approximately 4 minutes):

Man’s monologue (Ruben Guevara):

Allegiance is a blindness made of dull plastic
Intrusion of lightness
Inferiority of institutions
Waste innocence.

I don’t often realize what it is that they are doing
Why do they look at me in like that?

I can’t be seen around here
They’ve promised to exploit my premonition.

Maybe it is a matter of private ownership
To safeguard the legacy...
Something about the public trust
Or mistrust of the individual.

I smeared blood on my face
Leaned against a famous image.

There are holes in my history
I can feel the wind
Of naked terror
As I penetrate
In total oblivion
It is really a period of astonishment
I must get used to disasters
It will take five minutes.



ACTION #5 (approximately 3 minutes)

Yvonne and Francesco are each reading a newspaper. As they read one word aloud from each page they toss pages to the floor until the it has spread out across the area. They kick the papers around as they look at the pages on the floor.

Yvonne:

Don’t worry, it’s only the Calendar section after all.

Francesco:

I saw my name around here somewhere.



VIDEO CASSETTE 2 (approximately 4 minutes):

Woman’s monologue (Linda Gamboa):

There are holes in my shoes
I can feel the warmth
Of black tar
As I stroll
In total darkness.

It is really a period of adjustment
I must get used to doing without
It will take years and years.

No one will ever appreciate the process
An idea plagues the victim
There isn’t any fever
It is fear
It must be ripped out
It cannot be allowed to reside within the host
The obsession
To scratch and bleed is common.

There is an uncanny silence that accompanies altitude
Am I falling?
I want to hear myself scream.

I touched the tip of a thorn,
From that experience I can understand
The function of falsehood.

The surface is smooth to the gaze
All of my beliefs are residual
I cannot be conflicted
I won’t regret my refusal
To agree with your assessment
Of what is art, of what is place, of what is space,
I’m closing my eyes now.


ACTION #6 (approximately 3 minutes)

Yvonne shreds all of the pages from her notebook and tosses the confetti into the air.

Francesco tapes sheets of newspaper to cover table and chairs .

SLIDE PROJECTOR C: SLIDES 22-37

AUDIO CASSETTE 4 (approximately 4 minutes)

Man’s monologue (Ruben Guevara)

No one will ever appreciate the spontaneity
An idea plagues the victim
There isn’t any pain
It is dormant
It must be inexact
It cannot be allowed to bloom
The obsession
To reminisce is common.

There is an uncanny silence that accompanies altitude
Am I flailing?
I want to see myself drown.

I frolicked among the barbed wire,
From that experience I can understand
The function of falsehood.

The surface is soothing to the gaze
All of my beliefs are residual
I cannot be conformed
I won’t regret my refusal
To agree with your assessment
Of what is art, of what is place, of what is space,
I’m closing my eyes now.

ACTION #7 (approximately 3 minutes)

Yvonne and Francesco appear to be lost. They gather up pieces of paper and prepare their bed of refuse. They pick separate spots on the floor and lie down, covering themselves as best they can.

BLACK OUT.

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