American Trilogy and Epilogue

Tony Fitzpatrick’s American Trilogy and Epilogue: This Train, Stations Lost, Nickel History, Midnight City 2010-2014, Steppenwolf Garage Theater (Kristin’s video/film/animation examples below)

Four multi-media plays that house a series of film and video art works that I conceptualize, direct, produce, shoot, animate, edit, and integrate into the theatrical production. The pieces perform on stage as poetic experimental films, documenting the concept and form of Tony’s, painting, drawing-collage and etching works that inspire each play. The shows are a collaboration between Tony Fitzpatrick (artist/writer/performer), Stan Klein (writer/performer), Ann Filmer (theater director/writing adaptation), John Rice (music director/musical performance) and Kristin Reeves (film & video director/producer/writer/ editor/animation). The short videos run throughout the live show, which is a cross between oral history, documentary, and poetry; include live musical/vocal performances.

The Midnight City (2014) 100min. play includes moving image works using 16mm film, found slides, digital animation of Fitzpatrick’s artwork all finished to video. The content reflect critically on Chicago including the closing of 50 public schools. Synopsis: Tony is moving to New Orleans to draw birds (but decides to stay). Stan is going by “Leo” and working for the Cubs. Both men will come to know…THE MIDNIGHT CITY

Nickel History (2012) is a 90 min. play containing video shorts that feature elements of Fitzpatrick’s etchings as well as original performances by actor Carolyn Hoerdemann and documentation of Stan Kline’s studio, the Cubs Stadium, and Chicago. Synopsis: 1943 two young men enlist in the army and navy to serve their country and save the world. Thirty years later, their sons Tony and Stan stand in the cold all night long in line… for tickets to Foghat. There’s sacrifice and there’s, well… sacrifice.

Excerpt of Nickel History Documentation

Stations Lost (2011*) is a 90 min. play containing 70 videos animating 3,000 still images I generated from Fitzpatrick’s drawing-collage series: Super Hero, Moth, Ohio, and Star. Six of the videos act as individual scenes and tell the story of Tony’s use of light conceptually and formally throughout the four series while also contributing to the plays narrative, a journey of personal transformation.

*Staged 2011 Pierogi Boiler Room, Brooklyn NY and 2015 at David Winton Bell Gallery, Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Brown University, Providence, RI

This Train (2010) 90min., contains 44 videos incorporating stills generated from Fitzpatrick’s Hobo Alphabet and Sitting Bull drawing-collages. This Train is a tribute to Tony’s mentor oral historian Studs Terkel. There are five main video pieces that communicate both Tony’s drawing-collage formal and conceptual process. The videos also contribute to the narrative: the history and language of transient populations throughout American history understood through the Hobo Alphabet.

About my work in theater:

I participate in theater productions by directing, producing, and integrating a series of film and video art works into the play. I write with images in the voice of the playwright an extension to the play’s conceptual and physical narrative. I’m interested in the boundary between virtual and real spaces and the transition between the two. In theater physical bodies make real the virtual material of language. I want my works to embody that performance.

Stage + Film/Video/Animation Example

Pre-show looping installation Midnight City documenting 50 closed Chicago Public Schools

Excerpt of opening video for Nickel History (full below)

Various video examples from all of the productions.