Work in Progress
Celebrity
(working title)
Fame’s seductive and enabling power
Premiere 2010
Andy Warhol once predicted that “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” but who or what defines celebrity? What makes us want to be famous? How has the definition of celebrity changed? And what can we learn about the fallouts or consequences of fame?
If traditionally we called attention to ourselves by our deeds, skills, or knowledge, it seems today that the key is to be in the right place at the right time—and more importantly, to be recognized by the mass media. Our promised fifteen minutes can now be only a shower of hits on You Tube away.
In its planned two-year project, Monkey Waterfall will explore notions of celebrity in its many past and present forms, and examine the ways in which we individually and collectively are influenced by fame’s seductive and enabling power.
Discussions with potential collaborators and venues have already begun. Meetings will be held with potential cast members in spring 2009, and rehearsals will begin in fall 2009 for the 2010 production, and again in Fall 2010 for the 2011 show.
