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While an intrigued crowd looks on, students Kelsey Cole,
Krissy Heinzman, Ryan Burns and Ashley Musser (partially obscured)
perform a "happening" in the main lobby of the Stockdale Center. The
happenings are part of the pre-performance build-up to the Crimson
Masque production of "The Shape of Things," Oct. 2-5. |
A group of four students
recently entered the lobby of Monmouth College’s Stockdale Center, right
before lunch. They gathered with their backs to each other and circled
counterclockwise, having four very loud conversations into phones. Foot
traffic came to a halt, and more than a few quizzical looks were made.
In just a few moments, the four students were gone, and the daily
routine of congregating in the busy social area continued.
What just happened?
Simply put, a “happening.”
Monmouth College theater
professor Janeve West elaborated.
“Along with directing a
production of ‘The Shape of Things’ (performances by MC’s Crimson Masque
are Oct. 2-5 at the college’s Wells Theater), I’ve coordinated a group
of eight students who are creating ‘happenings’ across campus,” she
said. “The purpose for these one-or two-minute happenings is to spur a
discussion of art, what constitutes art and the role of the artist in
today’s society,” all topics which tie into the upcoming production.
Partnering with the
college’s art department, the theater department’s production of “The
Shape of Things” will combine live theater and film, performance art,
sculpture and painting. The group’s first happening was like one seen
recently on a television ad. At precisely 11:55 a.m. on a school day,
the eight members froze their position amongst the hurried rush of the
changing classes.
“They became a living
installation,” said West, “reaching for bags, checking the cell phone or
leaning against a wall. Passers-by quickly began to comment and question
the moment. At 11:57 a.m., the artists broke their position and
dispersed.”
Other happenings have
included an Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea party, an “air-cowbell”
concert and performers rolling down the hill wrapped in curtains or
blankets.
Though the structure was
fairly loose, each event had to be “artistic in some manner, slightly
spontaneous and unpublicized,” said West. Participants included Marcus
Bailey, Mark Woessner, Kristina Heinzman, Kelsey Cole,
Ryan Burns,
Felicia Roberts, Ashley Musser and Jim Travnik.
Officially, the term
“happening” is credited to artist Allan Kaprow, who coined it in 1959 to
describe “a form of art, often carefully planned but usually including
some degree of spontaneity, in which an artist performs or directs an
event combining elements of theater and visual arts.”
“Though much more tame
than the happenings of the 1960s, these students have been using much of
the same techniques of those artists in the creation of performance
art,” said West, who cautions that “The Shape of Things” contains adult
language and situations not recommended for younger viewers.
