a creation story
of sorts. in 3 acts.
​
or how an audience member answering her cell phone during a performance led to
the peoplehood
ACT ONE: A Call
At Rise:
An Alphabet City über-intimate theater space in NYC. A short dock extends into the audience.
Jaisey Bates and an actor are engaged in a charged scene.
A cell phone rings in the audience.
The actors pause.
AUDIENCE MEMBER
(answers call) 'Yeah, I'm watching this new play ... (etc.)'
The actors watch the audience member talk on her phone.
ACT TWO: A Quest
At Rise:
Jaisey.
JAISEY
'How can people be so absolutely unaware of other people?'
Jaisey wonders.
Looks.
Doesn't have to look far.
JAISEY
'Wow - the Typical Theater Experience? It's a story, unfolding at a safe distance. It's an audience, facing forward, each ticket holder cocooned in their own little world, watching, not watching. Maybe answering their phones. It's how some folks drive in LA LA Land. Like when I wait to make that last left turn to work and the car behind me honks repeatedly. Insistently. As in - '
THE ONLY DRIVER WHO MATTERS
'TURN ALREADY!'
JAISEY
'As in - '
THE ONLY DRIVER WHO MATTERS
'WOULD YOU TURN ALREADY into the rapidly oncoming traffic and sacrifice/annihilate yourself in order to remove this unnecessary impediment (THAT WOULD BE YOU) to my progress in life at this moment so that I, The Only One Who Matters In The Known Universe, can make my left turn, The Only Left Turn That Matters In The Known Universe!'
JAISEY
'So the T.T.E. is kinda like watching TV at home in one's pjs or Zooming WFH business meetings whilst wearing pj bottoms during the pandemic or pre- or post-pandemic driving one's invincible spaceship through a space-time continuum of insensate existentially unimportant particulate matter. So when some folks conditioned by TV and Car go to see a Play, they don't feel a sense of a community or shared journey. So their phones might ring. And they might answer. Huh. There's gotta be some way to help recalibrate and reorient our awareness. But how?'
​
ACT THREE: A Creation Story. Of Sorts.
At Rise:
A time lapse projection:
Jaisey writes.
And writes.
And writes.
Jaisey drinks zero-carb highly caffeinated beverages which are said to bestow wings and/or the ability to become 'a famous and successful singer or performer of rock music'. (And yes ... in case you were wondering ... Jaisey just definition-Googled 'what is a rock star'.)
Jaisey gathers words and stories into plays, poems, prose. Probably a couple more Ps.
Jaisey apologizes to the trees. All. The trees.
Jaisey casts, acts, produces, directs, seeks different & nontraditional words & ways to include audiences in shared journeys which remind each other of each other, that we are a story together, & the magic & mystery & infinities we have in common under our 'social skins'
Jaisey puts together a nomadic company and community of actors, artists and activists committed to working together in the performance of original works celebrating diversity.
... It's called The Peoplehood.