Calendar: 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03 | 2001-02 | 2000-01
The Roman Forum Project / Antoinette LaFarge and Robert Allen
March 6 - 8, 12 - 15, 2003
As an ensemble work designed for non-traditional spaces, The Roman Forum Project draws on a broad range of theatrical traditions and incorporates Internet technologies as a kind of "media commedia". In fifteen vignettes, The Roman Forum Project addresses the prolonged crisis in American politics, the varied ways in which our public life is managed through the use and abuse of mass media, and the ways in which this is changing with the advent of the Internet. Drawing on characters and perspectives from the 1st-century reign of Roman Emperor Nero, a period renowned for great political and civil unrest, the piece includes characters ranging from a Roman empress to a barbarian slave, all performing in costumes and white masks that evoke Roman busts. Audience members are encouraged to circulate freely through the space during the performance as the action shifts from one area to another.
Five other performers will join the piece via the Internet. They will be spread across several time zones, and their textual performances will be integrated with the projections and audio. Their improvisational participation, plus the contributions of online guests, reflects the ever-changing nature of the Internet itself and completes the two-way circuit between the Beall Center and the Net, becoming living theater.
Outside observers are invited to see the performance and participate in the ONLINE DISCUSSION AREA.
The Creative Team
- Conceived and Created by Antoinette LaFarge + Robert Allen
- Stage Direction by Robert Allen
- Script by Antoinette LaFarge
- Produced by Indi McCarthy
- Visual Design by Antoinette LaFarge with Amy Kaczur; with additional material from "Democracy-The Last Campaign" by Margaret Crane | Jon Winet
- Sound Design by Maria de los Angeles Esteves and Jeff Ridenour
- Lighting Design by Christina L. Munich
- Costumes by Nicole Evangelista
- Character Development and additional text by The Plaintext Players
Stage Cast
- Quintus Roscius, an actor - Alan Goodson
- Petronius Arbiter, a writer - Kevin Keaveney
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, a senator - John Mellies
- Germania Servius, a slave - Kim Weild
- Poppaea Sabina, Empress of Rome - Helen Wilson
Online Cast (Plaintext Players)
- Germania Servius - Lise Patt
- Marcus Tullius Cicero - Richard Foerstl
- Petronius Arbiter - Richard Smoley
- Poppaea Sabina - Marlena Corcoran
- Quintus Roscius - Joe Ferrari
- Eastern.Revolt - Heather Wagner
Crew
- Susan Evon - Stage Manager
- Alison Knight - Light Board Operator
- Evita Rapadas - Video Operator
- Blake Anthony - Sound Board Operator
- Brandon Kikuyama - Web Camera
- Michelle Barr - House Manager
- Crystal Chou - House Camera and Costume Assistant
On-Line Production
- Network & Academic Computing Services
- David Mussoff - RealMedia Video Server Administrator, CCS
- Sylvia Bass - NACS Web Site Administrator, RC
- Alex Odyniec - Digital Video consulting, Engineering
- Garrett Hildebrand - Network Wrangler, NetPlanSec