Small Plots (2009)

As part of SECCA's public art program, I worked with museum and community of Winston-Salem to orchestrate a series of performances that blurred the line between the scripted theater and everyday life. These performances repeated themselves weekly in selected locations. Public interaction could alter the direction of each plot.

VISIT SECCA'S BLOG FROM 2009!

From Press Release:

Referring to both geography and drama at once, “Small Plots” used parcels of Winston-Salem as the platform for short vignettes snatched from everyday life. As such, everything from street corners and park benches to supermarkets, shopping malls and residential neighborhoods became potential stages for artist Lee Walton to orchestrate a performance.

In this context, a man singing to his headphones, a woman carrying too many groceries, or a couple arguing on a park bench all slide between everyday occurrences and inconspicuous theater. They can happen with an audience of hundreds or none; in crowded places or quiet corners; with the knowledge of onlookers or ignored by all. They are performed by the people all around us, and even offer audience members the opportunity to participate in the unfolding of the plot.

The beauty and magic of these acts is thus, that – somewhere between social experiment and staged event – the very distinction between life and theater grows dim. Instead, the city and people of Winston-Salem are activated as players on a shared stage where no one is entirely sure of the parameters.