Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2007 - 26

enclosing them in a "jail cell" as the units were contracted
to create openings too narrow to climb through. This couple
was "trapped" in public, self-conscious at ﬁrst, then laughing
at their predicament. For them, reality changed signiﬁcantly
for a moment. Van Wely notes that "most people like to be
inconspicuous" (van Wely 1992, 24) and Dieho delights in
Warner's ability to upend the complacency of people who think
they are safe "...anonymously in the mass of people, until a
performer takes you by the hand and gets you involved in an act
you don't know." (Dieho 2006, June 5)
The initial mood abruptly changed as the pipers ran away
only to return carrying massive drums. These were made of
giant, garden store terra cotta pots big enough for palm trees.
On top of them real timpani drum covers were attached with
bungee cords. Their weight was ambiguous at ﬁrst because two
performers carried the drums as if they were heavy burdens
resting on their bent-over backs while another had a drum
upside down atop her head like a light weight water jar. In fact,
the pots were plastic, provided a good resonance and were
durable enough for street performance. Once the audience
recognized the cleverness of their construction, they provided
an element of surprise central to Warner's work. The fact that
they produced captivating percussion added to that surprise,
just as the strangely melodious music of the pipers had
done moments before. Music made on these non-traditional
instruments was both startling and extremely clever.
The drummers sat their drums down in the middle of the
street forming a large triangle of open space between them.
The vigorous primal sounds they made ﬁlled the public space

PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

hurrying to some appointment or shop, strolling with the
children, sharing a meal or a bench or riding bicycles. Focused
and purposeful as most of us are in this modern, hectic world,
none of these people intended to go to a theatre production
that day. They had other things to do.
At 10 a.m. (and later at 2 p.m.), to the raucous melody of
giant handmade PVC plastic slide pipes, a quartet of strangely
attired musicians acting as a cohesive unit emerged and darted
from one location to another to give an impromptu, mobile
concert. Unknown to anyone, including the actors, was the
location of their stopping points. One of the group would run
to a wide window ledge and the others, like lemmings, quickly
followed and played from that location. Or the four of them
crammed themselves into a sawhorse-like advertisement display
or mixed in with garments hanging on a sidewalk clothes rack.
They serenaded two people sitting at a cafe causing the selfconscious couple to suddenly become part of the show-super
aware for the moment of their now very public image. A
teenage boy suddenly found his bicycle supporting the troupe,
as did a young man sitting on a bench whose knees provided
a convenient roost for one of the group as the rest surrounded
him with strange music.
The loud, unexpected, yet musical, noise itself had caused
everyone in earshot to stop for a moment to determine its origin
and ask what was causing it; the furtive, almost suspicious
movements of the quartet intensiﬁed the mystery. As van Wely
writes in his book, "We don't communicate with the audience
by telling stories, but by making things happen, things which
provoke curiosity in the audience as to what we
are doing." (van Wely 1992, 56) Van Wely refers
to this as luring the audience's attention (van Wely
1992, 17).
Meanwhile back in the square there
appeared two gigantic, expandable accordion
walls made of tall two-inch-wide pine boards
loosely bolted at center and top. The units could
open and close like a baby gate to create various
sized diamond-shaped openings. Each was
carried by an actor straddling the center opening
of the unit and controlling its movement by
holding ﬁrmly to the appropriate length of wood.
The whole piece was lightweight enough to be
easily transported and could rotate 360 degrees.
Each actor had practiced extensively to master
the mechanics of the scenic contraption. What
they did with their wooden barricades depended
largely on the dynamic of audience interaction
and response. At one time they stretched them to
their fullest extent and blocked all foot trafﬁc for
a few moments. Among other things this served
the practical purpose of slowing the pedestrian
movement long enough for individuals to stop,
look and become involved. One unlucky couple
was captured as the two gates formed a sandwich

Two gigantic, expandable accordion walls made of
narrow pine boards loosely bolted at center and top
could open and close like a baby gates.
THEATRE

2007

DESIGN

TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2007