A JOHNNY CAGED COMMUNITY
VIDEO
Duration 60 minutes
Concept/Development Clint Lutes & Maurizio Grandinetti
Choreography / Performance Clint Lutes
Compostion / Music Performance Maurizio Grandinetti
Additional Music Composition John Cage
Additional Conceptual Development Doreen Markert
Costume Joachim Schlömer
Produced by the Festspielhaus Sankt Pölten (Austria) with additional support from Le Pacifique | CDC Grenoble, Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik Basel (Switzerland) and a stipend from the Berliner Kultursenat.
Being thrown together by Joachim Schlömer, director at Festspielhaus St. Pölten, for 2 days was a very fruitful beginning for Clint Lutes and Maurizio Grandinetti.
The resulting 5-minute improvised performance with Maurizio being wheeled around on a cart (by a dancing Clint) playing music from John Cage prompted Joachim to invite them back to continue their mischief in the form of an evening-length piece that continues to morph with each ensuing presentation.
Maurizio Grandinetti is a bit of a John Cage master, having transposed some works for prepared piano to be played on a classical guitar. Using these works and all things John Cage as fodder for their creative research, Clint and Maurizio ventured down a path concerned with communal responsibility and participation, chance operations and physical communication.
At all times, Clint and Maurizio attempt to maintain an open communication between themselves and the audience and leave space that can be filled (or not) with audience participation. Playing with the audience’s comfort zone and on their feelings of empathy, Clint’s character hovers between a charming host and a devilish little brother, both inviting and menacing. He attempts to teach a piece of choreography to an audience member and to tell a story to the audience, both without using words. Maurizio challenges himself with multiple instruments, effects and styles, and is rolled around on a cart.
With each performance, the two creators adapt the piece according to the space and are experimenting with involving other artists. The two will perform the piece in a music festival in the south of Italy, collaborating with a toy pianist, a second guitarist and a violinist. Clint has also created a 20-minute version of the piece that can be performed with or without Maurizio.