What is George Coates Performance Works?

George Coates Performance Works (GCPW) creates large scale multi-media theatrical performances. Mr. Coates develops and utilizes technical and creative resources from emerging digital technologies in combination with traditional stage craft, light, and film techniques to support live performers, classically trained musicians, actors and dancers in the creation of a live theater of colliding media. Internationally recognized as an innovator in the development of new forms of live art, the Performance Works has won major awards for its work in Japan, Europe, and the United States. GCPW is a nonprofit theater company founded in 1977.

The Nowhere Band is auditioning musicians for its new multimedia work broadcast live over the Internet. The performance by George Coates Performance Works combines rock, jazz, funk and opera. Auditions and performances utilize CU-SeeMe Internet video teleconferencing. Musicians perform on-line from remote performance sites interacting with stage actors on screen. The Nowhere Band runs at 8pm PST Thursday through Sundays through Jan. 15, 1995. For more audition information see our world-wide web site.

Participating InterActors (remote performers) gather 5 times a week to rehearse and perform using CU-SeeMe to send live video/audio signals from their office, home or school to the Nowhere Band's 300 seat multimedia theater in San Francisco's Civic Center.

For the evening and Sunday Matinee performances, the InterActors are projected onto a very large semi-transparent display screen. The projected remote performers interact alongside the live band members onstage in rehearsed scenes and routines. As part of each performance, during the first twenty minutes, a member of the band auditions new potential InterActors as the audience members take their seats. There are five or six scenes during the Nowhere Band Sho that require cathartic interventions, with InterActors entering on cue.

As with the live band members, InterActors participating via the net agree to accept a fee in return for dependable and regular availability for rehearsals and performances. We encourage people to audition only if they can commit to being available on a regular basis. The band members and the audience will be expecting you.

InterActors must be available on-line 30 minutes before Sho-time.

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Check us out tonight via CU-SeeMe on the Cornell reflector at 132.236.91.204

PERFORMANCES

Opening Press Night & World Premier was Wednesday, December 14th. There were performances on December 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th, and 30th at 8 to 10PM PST and on December 31st (New Year's Eve) at 10 to 12PM PST.

AUDITIONS

To become a remote Nowhere Band member InterActors must * have dependable, high-speed IP access to the Internet with the capabilities required to run CU-SeeMe * be willing to rehearse with the Nowhere Band Monday through Friday with regularity * learn a sequence of Entrances and Exits with a set of agreed-upon Props * be available to perform with the Nowhere Band during the run of the Sho Thursdays through Sunday (see schedule)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Check us out on the Cornell CU-SeeMe reflector weekday nights at 7 PM Pacific Standard Time, or contact us via email at , or call Sean Kilcoyne at (415) 863-8520.

Audition, rehearse, have fun and maybe even make some cash!

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

We want you to play in our Band. So here's what you need to have available: * A high-speed connection to the Internet, probably with T-1 or better speeds. * At this time, we are using Cornell's CU-SeeMe interactive video software. You will need a copy, and can grab a copy from the Cornell FTP site. * A video camera and a video-capable computer * A telephone (so we can call you) * Probably you'll need electricity so you can plug it all in

SCENES & ROUTINES

InterActors participate in a set of designated scenes and are responsible for developing and rehearsing specific routines with live actors on stage and with other InterActors around the world.

The Nowhere Band encourages sites to collaborate with each other in pairs or groups directing each other in non-verbal routines.

Categories of routines include: * People and their pets * Musical performances * Movement routines * 3D models * and others...

Interactions can be individuals, pairs, or groups, interacting locally or across the net.

Routines will include props such as ropes, eggs, flashlights, etc. and be sure to bring your teeth!

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

InterActors can play instruments of their choice to become part of the Nowhere Band.

INDIVIDUALS

During rehearsals, individual InterActors may propose directions to the live actors on stage or to other InterActors they meet and collaborate with.

Once the auditions and rehearsals are complete, the InterActors lock in their routines and the Band members fix their staging according to set cues. This is to enable performances to be repeated in front of a live audience during each Sho five times each week.

PERFORMING IN PAIRS

Pairs of InterActors may collaborate to create scenes that cross the boundaries between physical and virtual realities, creating illusionary experiences by passing objects between them, shaking hands, or even kissing, as depicted in the first ever Net Kiss shown below between two InterActors in separate locations but displayed in adjoining Cu-SeeMe windows.

GROUP PERFORMANCES

During the performances, InterActors are "grouped" onto our 20 x 30 foot Projection screen. Live InterActors here in our theater then direct the groups to perform routines which are overlaid with 3D Film Projections, Models & Slide imagery.

SCRIPT

In the Nowhere Band a small child imagines herself the leader of an eclectic music group and conducts auditions for a musical about a magic bird who teaches people how to fly.

There are roughly 20 scenes. The Nowhere Band performs as both a music group with lead singers Susan Volkan & Raz Kennedy, guitarist Adlai Alexander, operatic soprano Lorene Spain and a live music theater ensemble with comic actor Kurt Reinhardt.

Book and lyrics by George Coates and music by Marc Ream. All stage sets are created in stereographic 3D soft sets.

Using the Internet and other media tools Nowhere Band members encounter a number of unexpected visitors and virtual realities. These guest 'interactors' arrive on-line during each evening's performance and along with the Nowhere Band members rehearse entrances, exits and routines according to set cues. Some 'interactors' arrive via Internet video, available to people with access to high-speed modems. Others participating through the 'Net' have sent artwork in the form of computer animations. Throughout the Nowhere Band's 90-minute performance the audience members wear polarized 3-D glasses to experience stereographic illusions of the production's stage environments and animations. There is no intermission.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Nowhere Band had its world premiere in Tokyo, Japan on October 6, 1994 at the Art Sphere Theater sponsored by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and the Intercommunication Center. With a grant from the California Arts Council and support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation and other foundations to create the "Audience On-line Initiative", a high-speed communications line was recently installed enabling our theater facility to send and receive via the Internet images, animations, video and other digitized data to and from participating individuals, art centers or laboratories around the world. Support from Sun Microsystems has helped us continue to experiment with theatrical applications for digital tools and networks in live presentation environments.

INTERACTOR SIGN-UPS

Please enter the following information: * Name: ________________________________________ * E-mail address: ________________________________________ * Phone number: _______________ * Address: _____________________________________________________ CU-SEEME INFORMATION * Audio: ( ) send ( ) receive * Video: ( ) send ( ) receive * Speed of link: (128k+ preferred) __________

SONG LIST

The Nowhere Band

* Traveling Music * White Stone * Superficiality * Profusion * How Much Longer * Guitar Thing * Elegant Groove * Temple * Magic Birds * La Valse * Important Music * Folk Warrior * I'm Always Afraid * Who are you * Welcome * Truth & Charm * Make Lovely * Loon Garden * Cut it off * Survivors * Nowhere Now Here

LURKER'S CHOICE

Lurkers may elect their favorite InterActors, their routines, songs and scenes for inclusion in a Best Of the Nowhere Band and make requests for interaction scenarios to be attempted in upcoming performances.

For instance, on November 22, 1994, Michael Hauser suggested that juxtaposed video windows would enable two InterActors to shake hands or pass a Swiss Army knife between them.

Before entering the theater for today's performance, The Nowhere Band thanks you for participating in our

OUT OF FOCUS GROUP

Survey

1. I want: ( ) A lot more bandwidth. ( ) Less bandwidth. ( ) Would settle for a slight increase beyond what is possible.

2. Networks are: ( ) Pathological. ( ) Understandably irrational. ( ) Perfect the way they are.

3. Choose one: ( ) I react quickly to correct failure. ( ) I seldom fail. The system fails. ( ) I plan for failure and accept it. ( ) I pray for failure relief. ( ) I use failure avoidance techniques and still I fail. ( ) I would rather be fishing.

4. The two most useful appliances in my life are:

at home: __________________________________________________

at work: __________________________________________________

5. Rate, in order of preference __ A misinformation voice mail detector from 1-4, which of these __ A barking router (hand clap activated) appliances would make your _ A caffeine blood level analyzer wrist watch job easier... __ An automatic plug-in IP address change locator and waffle iron

...then suggest a new product that would make your job easier: __________________________________________________

Submit survey Clear form

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All contents Copyright _ 1994, 1995, George Coates Performance Works. All rights reserved. Send questions & comments to .