Surry Coal Plant Panelists prepare to follow the Masks!
Part of our exploration with the Masks has been to put them into the environmental/political theatre in conjunction with William and Mary's International Mercury Expo 2010! This conference took place over the course of three days, during which there were panelists speaking about the dangers of mercury dental amalgams, coal mining, mercury in different ecosystems, and gold mining. Part of the goal of the conference was to emphasize the human element of mercury as a global pollutant. As a result, the conference showcased professionals responding to the problem of mercury in a variety of ways: Linda Wysong exhibited prints responding to coal plants in her region; Aileen Smith shared her famous photos of the devastating effects of mercury in Minamata, Japan (extreme mercury poisoning, as a result, is categorized as Minamata disease); Lisa Jo Epstein led workshops in Theatre of the Oppressed; the Virginia Theatre Machine developed a new educational play about mercury and misinformation; and, of course, there was plenty of time for networking!
The Swedish Masks functioned as silent witnesses to the global problem of mercury. Often, they appeared in conjunction with other theatrical events, leading Expo participants to the site of the next performance. They also mingled with Expo participants during a networking session.
It was interesting to observe people's reactions to the mask performance in different contexts. When the masks appeared at the theatre events, audience members seemed more able to interact with them. Perhaps this was because they were expecting something theatrical to happen, or they were relaxed at the end of the day. At the Friday evening performance of the Virginia Theatre Machine's A Mercurial Roadshow, Zach (in mask) intercepted people on their way out of Aileen Smith's exhibit and tried to direct them towards the next show. As he described, audience reaction varied. Some people were delighted to follow him and see the show. They would ask him questions and try to interact. People frequently responded to him as scary: "Oooh, Scary," they would exclaim. I thought this was interesting because, for the most part, Zach's behavior was not intended to be scary. As he described, he responded to his mask in a light way, using gestures I found to be welcoming, and not scary. But then, I like looking at masks.
A common response during this turn in the mask was, "Do you have mercury poisoning," or, "Are you a victim of mercury poisoning?" To which Zach would immediately respond with an improvised impression of a person with mercury poisoning. He would start shaking and flailing his limbs about him. After having seen Aileen Smith's photographs of victims of Minamata disease, I found this performance particularly disturbing. However, the people with whom Zach was playing found it hilarious! I thought, then, about the importance of context in how we construct meaning around any kind of abstract or silent performance. People see what they expect to see. If they are emerging from an exhibit about mercury poisoning and are immediately greeted by an unfamiliar masked character, perhaps that is the most logical explanation.
Networkers did not know how to respond to a mask in their midst. During the Saturday evening Networking session, Margaret played in her mask, wandering among the poster presentations and listening in on ornithologists, teachers, geologists, and other scientists talking about their work with mercury and exchanging business cards. If only I had thought to give her a card to pass around!!! Without cards, she mingled, but with an odd response. At first glance, it would appear as though the participants did not even see her in their midst. On closer inspection, I observed that many of the networkers were working very hard to NOT see her, or to not acknowledge that they saw her. Again, this was a different performance in a different context. Since these people were here to network with other members of their field, they chose to not acknowledge something unexpected in their midst.
The Masks' last turn at the Expo was after the panel presentation by the Surry Panel's 'Dendron Coal Fired Power Plant Debate.' During this discussion, researchers, scientists, teachers, and community members expressed their concern about the planned coal fired power plant in Dendron, in Surry County, VA. After this presentation, the masks enticed participants to follow them to the final Mercurial Roadshow. Some followed, but the masks were easily distracted on their journey, and finally found the show after their audience did!
The Swedish Masks functioned as silent witnesses to the global problem of mercury. Often, they appeared in conjunction with other theatrical events, leading Expo participants to the site of the next performance. They also mingled with Expo participants during a networking session.
It was interesting to observe people's reactions to the mask performance in different contexts. When the masks appeared at the theatre events, audience members seemed more able to interact with them. Perhaps this was because they were expecting something theatrical to happen, or they were relaxed at the end of the day. At the Friday evening performance of the Virginia Theatre Machine's A Mercurial Roadshow, Zach (in mask) intercepted people on their way out of Aileen Smith's exhibit and tried to direct them towards the next show. As he described, audience reaction varied. Some people were delighted to follow him and see the show. They would ask him questions and try to interact. People frequently responded to him as scary: "Oooh, Scary," they would exclaim. I thought this was interesting because, for the most part, Zach's behavior was not intended to be scary. As he described, he responded to his mask in a light way, using gestures I found to be welcoming, and not scary. But then, I like looking at masks.
A common response during this turn in the mask was, "Do you have mercury poisoning," or, "Are you a victim of mercury poisoning?" To which Zach would immediately respond with an improvised impression of a person with mercury poisoning. He would start shaking and flailing his limbs about him. After having seen Aileen Smith's photographs of victims of Minamata disease, I found this performance particularly disturbing. However, the people with whom Zach was playing found it hilarious! I thought, then, about the importance of context in how we construct meaning around any kind of abstract or silent performance. People see what they expect to see. If they are emerging from an exhibit about mercury poisoning and are immediately greeted by an unfamiliar masked character, perhaps that is the most logical explanation.
Networkers did not know how to respond to a mask in their midst. During the Saturday evening Networking session, Margaret played in her mask, wandering among the poster presentations and listening in on ornithologists, teachers, geologists, and other scientists talking about their work with mercury and exchanging business cards. If only I had thought to give her a card to pass around!!! Without cards, she mingled, but with an odd response. At first glance, it would appear as though the participants did not even see her in their midst. On closer inspection, I observed that many of the networkers were working very hard to NOT see her, or to not acknowledge that they saw her. Again, this was a different performance in a different context. Since these people were here to network with other members of their field, they chose to not acknowledge something unexpected in their midst.
The Masks' last turn at the Expo was after the panel presentation by the Surry Panel's 'Dendron Coal Fired Power Plant Debate.' During this discussion, researchers, scientists, teachers, and community members expressed their concern about the planned coal fired power plant in Dendron, in Surry County, VA. After this presentation, the masks enticed participants to follow them to the final Mercurial Roadshow. Some followed, but the masks were easily distracted on their journey, and finally found the show after their audience did!
After the Surry Panel
Searching for the Mercurial Roadshow
Looking for an audience in the Sunken Gardens
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