DEATH RATTLE
a radical re-assemblage of Boris Vian's
THE EMPIRE BUILDERS
by Valley Traction
Death Rattle was live streamed as part of the 2023 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
It took the script of Boris Vian's The Empire Builders, broke it apart and then had smashed into it an interspersion of text pulled from NextDoor in our community. We took several different events from town, and assembled the comments from community members based on their different neighborhoods. We were startled to see how the varying persepctives shifted from the demographics of the neighborhoods. The same thing seen through a multitude of lenses.
Here's an email we wrote to everyone inviting them in on the process:
Hey! Hey! Hey!
We love you! How are you? As I think you know, we run this experimental performance collective in town called Valley Traction. Our mission, unofficially is to cultivate the counterculture around here, and officially is to “create original, radical, hyper-localized work in, for, and about the Cumberland Valley”. We’ve got a new piece going up next month, and really want you to be in it.
The show (called Death Rattle) is made to feel like the internet, so lots of sounds and video and lights but also sculpture, and art and music. There’s a bunch of screens to read words from, in any order you want, so it’s different each time, but there’s no need for memorization. If you’re ok with movement, there’s a choreographer that’s working with us, a live band, and just generally a kind of party atmosphere.
The show is about isolation and connection and their effects on individuals and community. It’s an adaptation of an old French play mixed in with conversations that occurred in local internet communities while in quarantine. It’s at the Cubiculo Theater (above the Carlisle Theater) in downtown.
We know it’s maybe a big ask, but promise, it’s a really good time, with a lot of really lovely people. While we try to make all our shows free and open to anyone and everyone in the community, we do pass the hat and ask for donations. We also sell merch. All proceeds from all that get split evenly amongst you guys and go directly to all of you. We also have gas cards, foods and drinks available to everyone each rehearsal.
Our first rehearsal is just a little, laid back get-together at our place next Tuesday (right next to the farm). We’ll have dinner and drinks and read through the script all together. Maybe the band will play some tunes…. What do you say? Wanna come play with us?
