SITI: Under Construction...and Caution!

I attended the Saturday evening performance of SITI: Under Construction and I felt a spectrum of unexpected emotions. I'm anxious to hear about Tuesday's performance to compare.

The background setting in the theatre really looked like the stage was under construction. The lights were on and the actors and people were walking around as if they were still in the final setup. There were no secrets or unveiling of the show...it was all out there from the beginning.

As my watch read 7:30, the actors appeared on stage and one actor invited everyone to come find new seats, closer to the front. The audience wasn't full so he insisted that we all sit "in the same room." I cautiously stepped forward and found new seats with my guest.

The show opened with an explanation of the "scenes" that were going to be performed followed by a song. There were a series of "scenes" which appeared to be set in the 1950s. I'm so glad I brought someone because I needed someone to confirm my confusion and ultimately discuss what happened in the show immediately after.

The show continued and I sat back and tried to piece together the diverse group of actors who changed outfits, moved props on stage and conveyed a story to the audience. However there are two moments that stand out to me the most in this show and maybe stand out the most to me in terms of the entire semester.

This is where I would have liked to see a CAUTION sign...
One woman came to the front and read note cards in front of a microphone and to be honest I don't remember what was read because on the rest of the stage each actor committed suicide...well not really but each actor represented a way to end your life. It was graphic. It was disturbing. A recorded tape also played simultaneously like a news broadcast discussing tragedies, deaths, etc. One man took off his clothes on stage and wrapped himself in a large, clear tarp and rolled around the stage to signify suffocation. Another man was masking taped to a pole by other people and hung there between two chairs. He was carried to the side of the stage and he looked like he was wrapped in a cocoon.
At this point a family with a young child got up and left. I was more shocked that there was no warning in the program about nudity or graphic images/messages. I don't think there was much description at all about the performance. I felt bad for that boy because he didn't know what was going on and I remember a time when we left a movie theatre early because it ended up being too sad or inappropriate and I have never forgotten that.

I know this is getting long but I wanted to highlight the other most "memorable moment." After the suicide display, one of the actresses came into the audience with a microphone and went up to somebody and simply asked, "When was the last time you had sex?" The man was embarrassed but went along with it and answered. Several people were asked questions about their personal sex lives and I kept thinking get that microphone away from me!

One thing I almost forgot! At the end of the performance, the audience was invited to come on stage and look at the set and props, even move them around to finish off their message about chaos in society and how they made the set which is random, and changeable. The show came full circle in that sense: the actors invited to the performance in a closer seat and then invited us back to join them on stage by the end.

All in all, it was different and in a way I'm glad I went and have a chance to blog about it because I just have so much to say. It wasn't what I expected and I still don't fully understand it. I've decided it was abstract. It was art.