press conference for the revival of "how to...wash hands of"
R.M., 24, london's exceptional investigator and future BA in journalism, freelancer for LT magazines and outstanding frequent online publisher, in dialog with the notorious austrian illusionist M.S.K. on the recent replay of her self-reflexive piece "how to...wash hands of".
APPLES AND CHEAP EAST END COFFEE ARE THE BETTER DENTAL HYGIENE
Why real writing and journalist skills are more fresh than vanilla and cinnamon, and how the shy and elusive MSK can be challenged with in-depth questions in an exclusive interview.
R.M.
picture secretly taken at the celebration of the "how to...wash hands of" premiere.
RM: MSK, thank you for being here with me tonight. I have to admit that I wasn't part of the premiere of your latest piece, but fortunately, your work usually is accessible through its universality and general public. After watching the piece, I was surprised to be confronted with such an explicit rejection and debasing of smth many other people would call fun and reason for good mood. Now let me ask a person with 1.) a high awareness of social issues, and 2.) with an eclectic knowledge about music, or maybe more interesting: asking a person who usually preaches the sensuality and sensation of dance: why are you not willing to mingle with the lower classes for the sake of the outstanding music of Mr Hawtin?
MSK: A good question indeed, I may answer it with a counter question: If I'd believe in a traditional "God" - would I seek to meet him/her/it in "Hell"? I'm very willed to mingle with people of all ethnicities, genders, classes - but do I want to mingle with people whose IQ and EQ is anti-proportional to the horsepower of their cars? Besides, I neither have a white t-shirt, nor a jeans mini-skirt to adapt with the crowd, and I definitely know about the dangers how one looks "like" after encountering with Mr. Hawtin.
RM: Asparagus just now? In our theatreland, you can have it in September, January and April. Trimmed by Peruvian hands, of course, and shipped half-way around the world. But now I feel inspired to get some fresh organic seasonal ones and eat it on ciabatta with parmesan and whatever not. How do I grill it - is the question.
MSK: As you are very accurate in your research for interviews, you might know about my politics of supporting both local, and seasonal products. And although my theatreland provides the same Peruvian perversions - I strongly recommend to skip asparagus the rest of the year, and rather freak out on the first organic one each spring. Special things, like people, have to make themselves scarce...
As for your question: get yourself a decent "equipment", but more important is the smoky flavoring you want to give your asparagus: grind coriander seeds with some dried chili, cumin, maybe some hickory salt, garlic and olive oil. You can give fish, meat, vegetables a nice little treat with this mixture - either as a marinade, or as the base, together with green tea e.g. for a chinese-style smoked duck/salmon.
RM: Looking at the basil pot in one scene of your play, I can't stop thinking about my recent disillusion with fresh basil pesto. I have not tried a home-made fresh pesto in my life until I was given a jar of it recently. I have to confess that I've been very disappointed. The taste is very strong and grass-like. What is your opinion on that?
MSK: As you probably remember from previews interviews, I'm very appreciative of strong flavors. Salt, pepper, grass, you name it. But I know to which problem you are referring to, and as an addict of pesto, esp. home-made ones, I might have an advice for untroubled enjoyment.
As everything in [other people's] life, pesto is all about harmony. You need to balance the grassy taste of basil with the saltiness of parmesan, and the sweetness of pine nuts. Garlic will give all ingredients a nice kick in the (gl)ass, and the olive oil will contribute to the creamy texture. To prepare such a balance, roasting the nuts is a good trick to enhance the flavors, as well as adding a hint of lemon.
RM: - Majonnaise? You mean mayonnaise?
MSK: No. In this piece, I particularly refer to Majonäse. You know how important the Brechtian approach is for me, and like him, I intend to express my social consciousness with dialectic teaching plays. Therefore: as you expressed yourself congenially, "the purpose of your play is to inform and teach" - what more could I ask for, than the audience leaving the theatre with a new German word in their repertoire?! And by the way, whereas I wouldn't eat it with other typical carbohydrates like Erdäpfel and such, Majonäse fits perfectly with Brot, imho.
RM: Needle within hay = "needle in a haystack" is the idiom.
MSK: So you reckon everyone who uses the wording "needle within hay" is an idiot then? Next question, please.
RM: What makes the protagonist think other persons read something different from what she writes? I would like to clear this one first, if possible.
MSK: I would like to clear this one last, if you don't mind. Well, obviously this disbalance between writing and reading was already the case with you, as your previous reviews on my work showed. The reason that made me blush, as mentioned, and even lets me drop plays from the program every once in a while. But my intention with the latest self-reflexive play was to thematize this very mechanism - the differences of expression and perception - differencies which neither party can be blamed for, but is natural result of every dialogue situation. Simply given by socialisation, education, interests, etc pp - a "code" or "message" only exists in the relationship between sender and receiver, not as an objective "matter of fact-truth". The father of Cultural Studies, sociologist Stuart Hall, developed a very descriptive modell which you might want to consider for your question. The delineation behind this link [which doesn't want to work integrated into the text: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender-Empfänger-Modell] should answer it actually - and if your German doesn't reach beyond carbohydrates, Majonäse, Honig - simply think about the moment of japanese whisper and its dynamics. The message sent is mostly a different one than the message received....
True though, I of course play with misunderstandings and allusions. From the creative point of view: it's the very part I gain pleasure from - besides of writing my plays in a Möbius strip-like associative flow and encrypting the result with hypertexts, which make it even harder to declaim it onstage... a tricky paperchase online I enjoy being the only one winning, always. As it is a lonesome, but joyful chase, you may want to call my program autoerotic, but don't call it narcissistic.
RM: As far my narcissism goes, I think my glasses are perfect, I see well with them, and I would like to inform you that I could identify myself with one of the characters in your work.
MSK: Good on you. You and your sexy tropicalismo glasses thankfully found entrance to my world - all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players...I guess you are the second protagonist actually, the other one without exit from this stage - and our existentialist play: "Waiting for Godot"....
RM: As a final question: If not better glasses, do I need to acquire more cognition over the time to see the invisible in your work?
MSK: Actually I think you sometimes write your own texts into the space I leave open and vague for the invisible. Maybe we should rather think about combining your cognition/perception with my confessions/perfectionism?! Bringing together the two versions of messaging, which we both represent, for the sake of one mutual code...
RM: Here comes my narcissism again....
MSK, thank you very much for taking the time and giving me one of your rare interviews. I guess my paper can use one of your countless self portraits for the illustration of this article...!
MSK: Most definitely. Maybe you want to choose one without posing this time, where several cocktails force the protagonist into a post-celebrational fatigue slackness? And unless you are going to publish on Page 3 - the pleasure was on my side.
---
references & bibliography:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3O9xEZUEDM&feature=related
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rgbg0INRD4
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q96IPlm70
APPLES AND CHEAP EAST END COFFEE ARE THE BETTER DENTAL HYGIENE
Why real writing and journalist skills are more fresh than vanilla and cinnamon, and how the shy and elusive MSK can be challenged with in-depth questions in an exclusive interview.
R.M.
picture secretly taken at the celebration of the "how to...wash hands of" premiere.
RM: MSK, thank you for being here with me tonight. I have to admit that I wasn't part of the premiere of your latest piece, but fortunately, your work usually is accessible through its universality and general public. After watching the piece, I was surprised to be confronted with such an explicit rejection and debasing of smth many other people would call fun and reason for good mood. Now let me ask a person with 1.) a high awareness of social issues, and 2.) with an eclectic knowledge about music, or maybe more interesting: asking a person who usually preaches the sensuality and sensation of dance: why are you not willing to mingle with the lower classes for the sake of the outstanding music of Mr Hawtin?
MSK: A good question indeed, I may answer it with a counter question: If I'd believe in a traditional "God" - would I seek to meet him/her/it in "Hell"? I'm very willed to mingle with people of all ethnicities, genders, classes - but do I want to mingle with people whose IQ and EQ is anti-proportional to the horsepower of their cars? Besides, I neither have a white t-shirt, nor a jeans mini-skirt to adapt with the crowd, and I definitely know about the dangers how one looks "like" after encountering with Mr. Hawtin.
RM: Asparagus just now? In our theatreland, you can have it in September, January and April. Trimmed by Peruvian hands, of course, and shipped half-way around the world. But now I feel inspired to get some fresh organic seasonal ones and eat it on ciabatta with parmesan and whatever not. How do I grill it - is the question.
MSK: As you are very accurate in your research for interviews, you might know about my politics of supporting both local, and seasonal products. And although my theatreland provides the same Peruvian perversions - I strongly recommend to skip asparagus the rest of the year, and rather freak out on the first organic one each spring. Special things, like people, have to make themselves scarce...
As for your question: get yourself a decent "equipment", but more important is the smoky flavoring you want to give your asparagus: grind coriander seeds with some dried chili, cumin, maybe some hickory salt, garlic and olive oil. You can give fish, meat, vegetables a nice little treat with this mixture - either as a marinade, or as the base, together with green tea e.g. for a chinese-style smoked duck/salmon.
RM: Looking at the basil pot in one scene of your play, I can't stop thinking about my recent disillusion with fresh basil pesto. I have not tried a home-made fresh pesto in my life until I was given a jar of it recently. I have to confess that I've been very disappointed. The taste is very strong and grass-like. What is your opinion on that?
MSK: As you probably remember from previews interviews, I'm very appreciative of strong flavors. Salt, pepper, grass, you name it. But I know to which problem you are referring to, and as an addict of pesto, esp. home-made ones, I might have an advice for untroubled enjoyment.
As everything in [other people's] life, pesto is all about harmony. You need to balance the grassy taste of basil with the saltiness of parmesan, and the sweetness of pine nuts. Garlic will give all ingredients a nice kick in the (gl)ass, and the olive oil will contribute to the creamy texture. To prepare such a balance, roasting the nuts is a good trick to enhance the flavors, as well as adding a hint of lemon.
RM: - Majonnaise? You mean mayonnaise?
MSK: No. In this piece, I particularly refer to Majonäse. You know how important the Brechtian approach is for me, and like him, I intend to express my social consciousness with dialectic teaching plays. Therefore: as you expressed yourself congenially, "the purpose of your play is to inform and teach" - what more could I ask for, than the audience leaving the theatre with a new German word in their repertoire?! And by the way, whereas I wouldn't eat it with other typical carbohydrates like Erdäpfel and such, Majonäse fits perfectly with Brot, imho.
RM: Needle within hay = "needle in a haystack" is the idiom.
MSK: So you reckon everyone who uses the wording "needle within hay" is an idiot then? Next question, please.
RM: What makes the protagonist think other persons read something different from what she writes? I would like to clear this one first, if possible.
MSK: I would like to clear this one last, if you don't mind. Well, obviously this disbalance between writing and reading was already the case with you, as your previous reviews on my work showed. The reason that made me blush, as mentioned, and even lets me drop plays from the program every once in a while. But my intention with the latest self-reflexive play was to thematize this very mechanism - the differences of expression and perception - differencies which neither party can be blamed for, but is natural result of every dialogue situation. Simply given by socialisation, education, interests, etc pp - a "code" or "message" only exists in the relationship between sender and receiver, not as an objective "matter of fact-truth". The father of Cultural Studies, sociologist Stuart Hall, developed a very descriptive modell which you might want to consider for your question. The delineation behind this link [which doesn't want to work integrated into the text: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender-Empfänger-Modell] should answer it actually - and if your German doesn't reach beyond carbohydrates, Majonäse, Honig - simply think about the moment of japanese whisper and its dynamics. The message sent is mostly a different one than the message received....
True though, I of course play with misunderstandings and allusions. From the creative point of view: it's the very part I gain pleasure from - besides of writing my plays in a Möbius strip-like associative flow and encrypting the result with hypertexts, which make it even harder to declaim it onstage... a tricky paperchase online I enjoy being the only one winning, always. As it is a lonesome, but joyful chase, you may want to call my program autoerotic, but don't call it narcissistic.
RM: As far my narcissism goes, I think my glasses are perfect, I see well with them, and I would like to inform you that I could identify myself with one of the characters in your work.
MSK: Good on you. You and your sexy tropicalismo glasses thankfully found entrance to my world - all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players...I guess you are the second protagonist actually, the other one without exit from this stage - and our existentialist play: "Waiting for Godot"....
RM: As a final question: If not better glasses, do I need to acquire more cognition over the time to see the invisible in your work?
MSK: Actually I think you sometimes write your own texts into the space I leave open and vague for the invisible. Maybe we should rather think about combining your cognition/perception with my confessions/perfectionism?! Bringing together the two versions of messaging, which we both represent, for the sake of one mutual code...
RM: Here comes my narcissism again....
MSK, thank you very much for taking the time and giving me one of your rare interviews. I guess my paper can use one of your countless self portraits for the illustration of this article...!
MSK: Most definitely. Maybe you want to choose one without posing this time, where several cocktails force the protagonist into a post-celebrational fatigue slackness? And unless you are going to publish on Page 3 - the pleasure was on my side.
---
references & bibliography:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3O9xEZUEDM&feature=related
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rgbg0INRD4
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q96IPlm70
mironja - 12. Apr, 19:08
