Photo By Rich Soublet
It is my opinion that Site-Specific theater is when artists create a new performance with the purpose of presenting it in a very specific location that was not originally built for theatrical use. This unique theatrical adventure makes me feel so glad to have had the opportunity to direct our first two iterations of our site-specific series "San Diego I Love You".
I remember first hearing about site-specific theater as a student at San Diego State University. I learned about the happenings that swept the artistic underground of the 60's that then led to the site-specific creations of the 70's and 80's which brought impromptu art to unsuspecting audience members. The idea of creating performances that fit with interesting surroundings and taking the patron outside of the comfort zone of a theater seat fascinates me. It allows you to tell the story not only of the characters in the play but also of the area they are placed in. It brings people to new places they may have never discovered on there own. It keeps theater alive, vibrant and constantly changing. It lets the audience get up close and personal to the action, sometimes even sucking them right into the story itself. It's beautiful to see a random couple innocently eating lunch go from shock and annoyance to being completely swept up into a sudden performance they did not expect. It's simply amazing!
As we roll into the final weekend of San Diego I Love you 2.0, I am incredibly proud of my fantastic cast that has worked so hard to make the piece work in the beautiful backdrop of University heights. I want to thank the amazing locations: Bourbon St., Red House Pizza, Diversionary Theater, Demi Cafe and the wonderful Kathy Hope for inviting us into their homes (in one case literally) and supporting us all the way. This project is by far one of my favorites that we create and I hope we continue it for many years to come.
In the spirit of interesting art I visited my alma mater San Diego State this morning and watched a staging of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet in the SDSU Library. It is refreshing to know that the place I found my passion for non-traditional presentation is encouraging out of the box and in your face work to their students. The performance was arranged by Arts Alive SDSU a new group created to promote the art that is done on campus and I hope that it does well.
Finally, Thank you to all the Circle fans new and old that have come out to support San Diego I Love You 2.0. For those who have not bought there tickets there are only a few left so grab them now before they disappear. We work hard to bring these pieces to you and it is always a thrill to see you at the shows.
Happy V-day,
Patrick Kelly