Paperplay
Paperplay was rehearsed during the fall of 1981 in different ways by as many as seven performers. It evolved into a two-woman show performed by Claudia Bruce and Sophie Simens, shown at Time & Space Limited’s NYC storefront in the spring of 1982. The text was rehearsed for two months with free improvised movement – at first the language was emphasized; later the movement was designed. The attempt in Paperplay has been to delineate form (movement) from content (words), to show the separation, and to elevate both into a “third way” of understanding.
In 2021, a short film was edited by TSL Archivist Kevin Gilligan utilizing 8mm footage shot by Mussmann in 1982.
1982
performed at:
Time & Space Limited (TSL Storefront, 139-41 West 22nd Street, New York, NY)
and Thrones Marketplace (150 Main Street, Northampton, MA)
written, designed, and directed by Linda Mussmann
in collaboration with Claudia Bruce
performed by Claudia Bruce and Sophie Siemens
Claudia Bruce:
“As a performer involved conceptually and physically with the presentation of these art texts, I am continually amazed by the simplicity of the interwoven pieces — the vista of unlimited possibilities within a tight structure. The performer’s place in the piece requires total focus at the instant. The impulse which led Mussmann to write certain words/combinations of words is transferred to the performer from another dimension of open impulse occurs.”
Linda Mussmann:
“The performance does not represent, but presents in terms of movement and sound. Applied attitudes to a text only get in the way of the text and the audience; therefore, acting or behaving is not a part of the approach. The text forms the actor and not vise versa when it is clearly, concretely, precisely stated. The text is allowed to create a process where it defines and re-defines itself.
We are interested in painting or landscaping in the space in geometrical terms with words. Words are treated as objects. We are interested in a theatre that allows a text to exist in and of itself — we are not concerned with the removal of the text from the theatre. Therefore, a design is given to the language and creates an open, presentational way of speaking.”
2021 - Short Film
written, directed, and designed by Linda Mussmann
edited by Kevin Gilligan
starring Claudia Bruce and Sophie Siemens
During rehearsals of Paperplay in 1982, Linda Mussmann shot a series of 8mm silent films, each lasting 3 minutes. Without an audience present, the director was free to move her camera as she wished, and recorded striking closeup shots.
In 2021, TSL Archivist Kevin Gilligan edited these reels together into a complete film, and manually synced the silent footage with available audio from a separate 1982 performance of Paperplay. Additionally, new audio tracks were recorded with Claudia Bruce.
For the time being, Paperplay the film screens exclusively at Time & Space Limited in Hudson, NY. Check the calendar at timeandspace.org for updates.