Movement. Breath. Language. Basic tools of the theatre artist, yet when wielded by Laurie Carlos, they become revelatory, revolutionary – passageways into history, community, spirit. Austin is blessed to have had this Obie- and Bessie-award-winning playwright, director, and performer be a frequent visitor and creative collaborator on local projects (Frontera’s con flama, blood pudding, Alaskan Heat Blue Dot). Now, she’s back, working with UT’s Center for African & African American Studies and Department of Theatre and Dance to premiere The Pork Chop Wars, “a performance novel of autobiographical inaccuracies and unsubstantiated accusations.” The Chronicle asked Carlos about this new work.
Austin Chronicle: Why a performance novel?
Laurie Carlos: The act of the performance novel is a challenge of exploration in forms of American storytelling. The performance work developed over the past 20 years has not always fulfilled satisfying experiences with language. We are willing to now deepen our explorations of form. Creating vocabularies and expanding dialogues centered on diverse methods of excavating our stories is the goal. How successful we are will be defined by those of us making the journey. Sharon Bridgforth has developed in love conjure/blues the first effort of what will be known as the performance novel. This primary work has given permission to many of the rest of us to move forward.
AC: How does this work rise out of your life at this moment in time?
LC: My family story has been the subject of my creative work for some time. I have always had to speak of the stories only in bits and pieces. The whole thing [is] epic, operatic, appropriate for the novel. No performance work has been big enough to contain it through seven generations, nine languages, and 10 countries. The unsubstantiated accusations alone cry out for examination. How we got here and where did we come from to do it and what is it we do when we do it this way? Gestures, movement, recipes, and remixed melodies, designs for living.
AC: You’ve developed enough work here to have forged some strong ties – colleagues, friends, sisters, brothers.
LC: Austin has embraced me and supported me as an artist for the last 10 years. The community of artists here has been essential to my development and well being. I will always feel safe here to explore, fail, develop, and thrive. Thanks to Zell Miller III, Sharon Bridgforth, Omi Osun Olomo, Florinda Bryant, Vicky Boone, and many more. Perfection is not always a requirement with real friends who only require you be yourself. I am blessed.
The Pork Chop Wars runs Sept. 15-18, Thursday-Friday, 8pm, no show Saturday, Sunday, 2pm, at the Brockett Theater in the Winship Drama Building, 23rd and San Jacinto, UT campus.
This article appears in September 16 • 2005.