SALT - choreography and critical humor

Elisabeth Lambeck

SALT is an exploration of choreography and critical humor, - through the study of the Avant Garde art movement Dadaism; - a consideration on humor studies; - and freedom of speech. Diving into subversive comedy, the purpose of this research was to be able to come to better contextualization and search for ways to become more bold, more playful, and knowledgeable exploring the critical thoughts that I wish to tackle in my work, through laughter. SALT, in the simplest explanation of this journey, was my search to become both funnier and more critical at the same time. For the creation of my final performance, the dramaturgical playfield that I considered had comical and critical potential were Stress, Zebras, and lecture performance. Searching for ways to deconstruct the figure of a zebra humanoid that I had decided as the main character of the piece, I connected to standup comedy, slapstick, lecture performance and visual arts, to artists such as Ricky Gervais, Charlie Chaplin, Sergiu Matis, Jérome Bel, and Alessandro Gallo, and could appreciate and nurture myself with different approaches to my craft, critique, and humor; questioning, reconfirming, studying, and pushing this research at service of my final performance, a one woman show. In this journey I also used guided improvisation, inspired by Gaga and Authentic Movement Technique, critical dialogues, DasArts feedback methods, reflective writing, mind mapping, mood boards, and open rehearsals to push for critical thinking. Through Research Catalogue, I designed a universe in which all the different layers of this process could be experienced textually and visually. Research Catalogue allowed me to take some of the playfulness and boldness that I had nurtured into my artistic practice, onto the screen, and be able to invite my guests to a more immersive, hopefully joyful journey of the tragicomic, absurd universe that eventually became known as SALT. Through this journey, I reconfirmed the power of humor, that can be used as a powerful “weapon,” to address and revolt against critical issues of our time. Comedy can be an empowering way into heavier material, using any extent of hilarity as a tool for breaking through the audience's emotional boundaries, celebrating and pushing forward creative and critical thinking while visiting awkward, uncomfortable corners of the human truth. Searching for a joke that is not just a joke but can travel beyond laughter and engage with a deeper layer of critical thinking is a very challenging but honorable craft to practice.

"No no no no no no no no no no.

I wish I could just quit.

I don´t want to do this.

I mean I want. But I don´t. I can´t.

I mean I can, I think. But I can´t. I am tired. I can´t focus.

Please coffee, don´t make me paranoid. I want to quit. Shit. You can´t say I have to quit!

Sleep, let´s just sleep.

My head. Too many stuff. Things. Issues. My phone. Connection, distraction, connection distraction distraction distraction,

escape!, let´s get outta here.

I need to quit. let´s go. Just go, go!

I can not deal with this.

Full, stuff.

I am so dissapointed in myself.

My brain cannot think straight, neither crooked.

I wish I could do better,

how have I now magically turned into the worst version of myself?

Quit. I am so stressed. Sleep! Wake up! What?

My body screams help. Nobody is listening. But it is so loud. Au! Don´t hurt me.

Full, stop, focus, breathe, calm, no.

Fuck it.”

-An expression of stress

Elisabeth Lambeck 2023

Did you know that, Zebra´s don´t get ulcers?

"To truly laugh, you have to take your pain, and play with it."

- Charlie Chaplin

For Research Report : PRESS THE CLOWNS NOSE, or alternatively, THE RED BUTTON TO FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE and FAWN

MANIFEST FOR LAUGHTER

This wall is about vulnerability and laughter

This wall is about pain

This wall is about laughing through pain

Together

Not alone

This wall is fake

This wall is funny

This wall is a hole but a bridge

This wall is real

This wall is about just another brick in the wall

When was the last time you smiled like this?

Why?

What kind of feelings surface in you when watching these horizontal smiles?

Did you know that the Haha wall is a real name for a type of sunken fence that was commonly used in in the 18th century, allowing the viewers to enjoy the beautiful undisrupted landscape, the illusion of an unbroken, continuous panoramic sight, whilst providing boundaries for grazing livestock.

This wall is the grazing livestock trying to find a master plan to get themselves out of this hole, to the other side?

This is not like the Mexican wall,

This wall is inviting

Maybe like the Chinese wall, today, you can walk on top of it

This wall reminds me of how stressful I find this overambitious capitalistic thing that is called western privileged life

This wall reminds me that I am a mother of two children, and I have spent the last four years feeling guilty while distantiating myself from them while working and studying, ambitioning, building,

This wall

This wall is privileged

This wall is western

This wall is waving at you

Yes, this wall is ironic

But this wall is free to speak,

This wall is refusing to `shut up´

This wall is courageous

This wall is encouraging you to urgently

Watch out, for the HaHa walls in your beautiful landscape

Don´t be afraid to jump in,

And position your critical laughter, straight on top of that

As your biggest armor

This wall is a bit bitter

Like a tragicomedy

Like Charlie Chaplin said:

"Life is a tragedy when seen up-close, but a comedy in long shot"

This wall doesn´t have a door

This wall needs to be broken

This wall is searching for a punch line

PRESS

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