Fluxus was a movement of visual & performance artists based in NY from '62 to around '78 organized by George Maciunas. The focus was the expression of pure spirit through concerts, art & "events" and of not repeating oneself. Other Fluxus followers were Yoko Ono, La Monte Young, Nam June Paik, Robert Watts, George Brecht, Yoshi Wada.
PART II: Finding a Venue
Continuing interview with NW (US) performance artist Zoa Smith, inventor of the word/sound genre called Talkapella.
February, 2007
POET: You probably won't believe me but, you know, I never asked for this.
REPORTER: For what? You mean, you never planned on being a performer?
POET: Nope. I don't think I'm a particularly good writer, really. I just have an unwieldy imagination. And I like being resourceful & finding the humor in things.
REPORTER: Well, I suppose that's what people really like.
POET: Yeah. And the truth. Maybe, I found favor with an audience because I have a difficult time concealing myself, you know, my feelings are always so obvious.
REPORTER: You come across pretty sure of yourself. But, yeah, don't take offense, but.. sort of winging' it, vulnerable, on the edge of... like on a tightrope sort of spectacle.
POET: Wow, you got that right.
REPORTER: So, how did you...?
POET: Get started? It was an accident, never planned on it. Started in college, in Ohio, with classes I took in Reader's Theatre. They called it Oral Interpretation, reading other peoples stuff with personal commentary between. I got pretty good at it. Then, after school, I moved out west with the big migration of feminists. It was the 70's. I guess we were all in search of the granola "women's community".
REPORTER: Granola? You mean you were a separatist?
POET: Totally. My first audiences were all women. I landed in Corvallis, Oregon. There was a huge alternative community taking hold there. Green people, food co-opers, gays & lesbians, activists. My partner started the first battered women's shelter in Oregon.
REPORTER: So you were, or are, a political artist?
POET: I wanted to be, I suppose, wanted to really help change things. But I really wasn't all that sure of my abilities to begin with.
REPORTER: What made you keep going?
POET: Friends, audience feedback and after getting some opportunities to open for some big name speakers & musicians, well, after getting hit with a few spotlights, I was hooked.
REPORTER: Big names like...?
POET: Like feminist icons like visionary Sonia Johnson and musicians Meg Christian & Chris Williamson. And like Linus Pauling on the steps of the capitol building was quite an honor. My set opening for the Paul Winter Ensemble was almost cut at this big outdoor festival but my fans started booing when the MC tried to bump me off the stage.
REPORTER: What happened?
POET: Well, I refused to leave, you know, 'cause a lot of people drove up this mountain just to hear my performance, no way was I gonna let them down. The sound guy even turned off the mic. I just kept going, shouting out my poetry.
REPORT: Jesus, that's rude.
POET: Yeah, the stage manager actually came out and grabbed my arm, boy that almost set off a riot. But I will never forget, the weirdest thing happened. A sudden, blast of freaky wind blew up, billowing the backdrop of the stage up in the air like a beautiful dome. I was shouting out this poem about the power of the earth(!) and the sound guy got spooked, I guess, & turned the mic back on. I finished & the crowd was awe struck.
REPORTER: Cool. Very weird. So mostly, then, you did big events & such?
POET: When I could. But finding other venues was a constant challenge. Remember, this was before slam or rap or even open mic. Poets or performance artists had to create their own spaces. I weaseled in where ever I could.
REPORTER: Places like...?
POET: Like coffeehouses, alternative galleries, taverns that were acoustic-music venues, university events, fundraisers, political action marches or conferences.
REPORTER: That sounds like a lot of work.
POET: I guess it was. I don't think I noticed at the time.
How Do You Build An Audience As a Performance Poet?
next post is online now as PART III: THE AUDIENCE
