No one can quite put their finger on what America: Now and Here is, what it will be, or what it might become. A roving museum packed with visual art, film, poetry, and theatre freshly minted from the best and brightest artists in America aspiring to spark a dialogue with America. Who are we? What does America look like post 9-11, post Obama, post Hurricane or Oil Spill or Economic Crisis? Art, for me, is about uncovering that face, finding that voice, discovering our collective (and by extension, personal) identity. This new national arts project, America: Now and Here, is looking for that conversation. It kicks off next week here in Kansas City and I am proud to be a part of it. Even if I can’t quite get my finger on what it will look like. I am one of the 10 local actors tasked with bringing to life the works so many local and national playwrights have written in response to Eric Fischl’s call for dialogue. We will be performing in a museum in The Crossroads, one of the many thriving arts areas of Kansas City. Site specific, overheard conversation, guerrilla theatre are just a few of the theatre buzz words floating around as people try to describe what it might be like in performance. But no one really knows. And that, in the end, is kind of exciting. I don’t know what America’s identity is in these turbulent times; I don’t know what we may become, or even what we are. But I look forward to the conversation. So far the journey has been amazing, confusing, and inspiring. And I hope you’ll join us.
Check out the fantastic website for more info and perhaps a clearer explanation of what this project is about.
The Museum opens its doors in Kansas City this First Friday (May 6th) at 11am and will be open Wed-Sun through-out May. Then the museum picks up and moves to a new metro area and starts the process over. Be ready: here, there, or anywhere.
Coleman Crenshaw 