Sample Reel

Compilation tape. The first twelve minutes are related to Anda Korsts' Artaud video project. The last ten minutes are projects done by Megan Williams and Wendy Appel.

0:00Copy video clip URL B&W. Jim Rinnert, director of the Artaud project, explains that you’ve just seen an actor performing a lecture by Artaud called “Theater and the Plague” from his book “Theater and its Double.” Artaud delivered this as a lecture at the Sorbonne, abandoning his script to demonstrate the symptoms of the plague, and eventually becoming overcome by his performance. The man says that the next thing on the tape will be parts of phase III of the project, which shows the evolution of the production, from idea development in rehearsal to a performance of the final scene, Artaud’s death.

1:58Copy video clip URL The actor playing Artaud, J. Pat Miller, discusses options for a certain scene where he sits alone at a table in his room. Miller is concerned that this scene is too empty, but another man (the director?) suggests that this scene is about trying to get a “real reality,” and that he should just do whatever a person does when he is sitting alone in a room. The audience simply needs to “see someone behaving in a room as they would – playing with their balls, picking their nose, drinking, eating, rather than mooning around… What do you do when you get home for the day? You sit at a table, drink some wine, have a cigarette, and that’s enough.” Another man reminds Miller that Korsts’ camera will add another dimension to his performance.

6:37Copy video clip URL The performance of the previously discussed scene. Miller is in costume and cadaverous makeup now. He sits alone in a room drinking wine and dipping baguette in it. The audio gets extremely staticky at this point. After a few minutes, Artaud appears to get a pain in his chest, and the camera cuts.

9:33Copy video clip URL Artaud is now sitting on the toilet and appears to be in a lot of pain. He slowly pulls his clothes off and staggers around the room, eventually arriving, naked, at a ghastly self-portrait hanging on the wall. He sits down on his bed, and stares off into space.

12:01Copy video clip URL New segment. (Maybe starts in the middle?) In a fancy party at the Iranian embassy in Washington D.C. on the occasion of the Shah’s birthday. Voiceover is saying “He is highly intelligent. The fact that he loves parties and loves to entertain people in no way reflects a playboy attitude or playboy mentality. He is extremely smart.” Onscreen is Ardeshir Zahidi, Ambassador of Iran, who gives a kiss to Anda Korsts. The Western hemisphere representative of Eurobank predicts increasing intensity of conflicts with the Middle East in the coming years. Several other unidentified prominent partygoers are interviewed. One woman comments that she was blown away by another woman’s poise and beauty during her husband’s court trial, asking if she takes vitamins. Megan Williams does sound.

16:09Copy video clip URL Color (starts now and for rest of tape). Exterior of venue with marquee: Lily Tomlin in Appearing Nitely. T/C onscreen. Tomlin is at the end of her act, getting applause.

17:13Copy video clip URL Tomlin backstage doing makeup.

18:05Copy video clip URL Advertisement for what seems to be a People magazine TV show?

18:24Copy video clip URL Sequence from the filming of “The Rose,” starring Bette Midler, which seems to be a segment for the People TV show. Voiceover explains that the audience for this “live concert” got paid $15 apiece to pretend to be concertgoers in the movie.  Mark Rydell, the director, gives direction to the tens of thousands of extras, telling them to be really enthusiastic.