Free Idea Factory

When I was looking at colleges to attend I toured the Northwestern campus–it’s a HUGE university. The guy who was giving the tour used to work in Housing. He told us that the folks in Housing like to have their fun. He said that this year they put a Paul McCartney in the same room with a John Lennon, and, that the previous year they’d put four John Smiths in the same room.

I always thought that’d be a great one act play. Four guys named John Smith who live together in the same dorm room.

A play with a very large cast, like, say, Merry Wives of Windsor, performed in a venue with a very small stage, like a coffee shop’s open mic stage.

Some Creative prompts from which to work in any creative endeavor that interests you:

-Is free really free?
-do the opposite of what you want to do
-make something that would appeal to a conservative older woman
-examine your thoughts about formally presenting artwork
-the letter “Q”
-6 variations of a human hand
-’I-centrism’ present in Western Culture

How about an orchestra comprised of talented musicians who can all read music, conducted by a talented conductor. Only…you’re hearing a perfect recording instead of real live musicians. They LOOK like they’re playing (miming the instruments, but in real time, as IF they were playing…all dressed up, and turning the sheet music as necessary at the appropriate time. This would be fun for musicians who - for whatever reasons - don’t wish to play anymore, or can’t, but who really like the experience of being in an oechestra. I’d buy a ticket. Heck, I’d play one of the instruments!
Seems to me almost as much rehearsal would be needed…but what fun!

Lots of times it’s hard to find radio brilliance while traveling. Wouldn’t it be fun to tune the radio to a PBS version of “Library” where you could hear people reading/performing short stories, chapters, poetry etc. to keep you entertained and to tease you into visiting the library to get the actual books…

Last post reminded me of another big idea. Night time. Have someone stationed in each room of a very large building and be in contact by radio/mobile phone with them all. By having them control the lights in their room, spell out letters and words pixel style. A performance seen over a whole city.

Maybe you’ve seen a poet performing a poem while an interpretive dancer performs alongside them, interpreting the words into motion. Now picture two interpretive dancers who are also poets. Each person voices their own poem while interpretive dancing the other person’s poem. Like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time, only much, much harder. Makes my brain hurt just thinking about it.