A Maintenant 9 DADA performance at Beyond Baroque in Venice, California

By RusskiGypsy | Posted 13 hours ago | Lake Forest, California Maintenant 9 Performance at Beyond Baroque: a personal Dada account Undoubtedly it was a most memorable Dada moment in my lifetime sixty four years after my father presented me with a copy of the biography of Andre Breton. I just turned 14 and Dada coronated my birthday. The celebration took place in Casablanca. Yes, the real one, not the Hollywood set though I must say I was misled like everyone else except the set-making crowd. The Beyond Baroque theater seats 70 and it was nearly busting at the seams... well there were 3 empty seats behind me because of a structural column obstructing a clear view of the stage. However, with sideways metronome necking motions one could follow the events with no problem except for a morning-after torticolis. I also was pleased with the staggered elevated panorama for the audience. One felt like topping the stage acting So here, in this venerable and reputed place where I was preceded by such notable personalities as Tom Waits for one and ... Oh, well! I better stop at one or the list will be too long. I appeared in full Dada regalia accompanied by Gerri, my delicious wife of 38 years also decked out in polka dots tights and a Mondrian T-shirt topped by a fedora hat embraced by a marquee band that spelled Da-da. My wife said my performance was better than fine as was attested by the thunderous clapping underlining my finish poetry line. Of course I cannot be objective but subjectively I was happy with it also in spite of my dry mouth and parched tongue that ended my recital. A stage fright effect one might say but thank G-d my pants were dry. The participants numbered 18 not including Peter Carlaftes, the initiator and creator of the event and Kat Georges its nemesis. Mike Watt, Bob Branaman, Exene Cervenka, Richard Modiano, Alice Bag, Doug Knott, S.A. Griffin, Christian Georgescu, Alex Nodopaka, Gerard Sarnat, Jan Michael Alejandro, Hans L Daiken, Mona Jean Cedar, Rabyn Blake, Silvia Wagensberg, Linda Albertano, Marie Lecrivain Bibiana Padilla Maltos. The performers, each or in pair or group exhibited their craft as only exhibitionists can: absurdly original and historically accurate as the history of Dada was. As an aside note Beyond Baroque is one of the United States' leading independent Literary Arts Centers and public spaces dedicated to expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature and art through cultural events and community interaction. Founded in 1968, Beyond Baroque is based out of the original City Hall building in Venice, California. The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming including readings, workshops, new music and education. The building has chronicled the history of poetry movements in Los Angeles and beyond. Through the years, Beyond Baroque has played muse to the Venice Beats, the burgeoning Punk movement and visiting scholars. Many of the city's leading literary talents, including Dennis Cooper, Wanda Coleman, Tom Waits, Exene Cervenkova and Amy Gerstler, are alumni of its poetry workshop. Many of the worlds most well known independent artists, including Patti Smith, Michael McClure, Dana Gioia, and Viggo Mortensen have performed on its stage. And a final note. The event was marred by the extremely invisible absence of Tristan Tzara, Andre Breton and Marcel Duchamp just to name a few of the forefathers of Dada's pedigreed rascals. They couldn't attend as they were beyond reach vacationing in far, far away gaga lands. I paid homage to Marcel by wearing a second hand oak toilet seat in his honor. I couldn't help thinking that being number two in this late stage of my acting life was being number one in deed. ~~~