Performing in a Warhol film; one intrepid ICA staffer tries it out
Here at the ICA, we appreciate a can-do attitude. So...in addition to his responsibilities within the ICA's marketing and communications department, we asked Sam Hollands, our newly arrived co-op student from Northeastern University, to take a turn on the stage. Right after he finished up those powerpoint presentations.
Here's what happened next.
"Never would I have thought I’d end up in one of Andy Warhol’s experimental films of the 1960s. Prior to today, I had been familiar with some of the famed artist’s more notable titles - Sleep and Screen Test in particular - and always found the decidedly simplistic, cinéma verité style uniquely compelling. Gob Squad continues to play with these themes but, instead of using Warhol’s original cast of drugged out hipsters, the performers enlist the help of audience members to appear on camera and even read lines. I was one of the lucky staffers permitted to attend a dress rehearsal of Gob Squad’s Kitchen and, as a result, was thrown (teeth clenched) into the spotlight.
Maybe it was the lack of a real audience but, for someone prone to anxiety/stage fright, I found the lovely cast patient enough to make my experience an enjoyable one. I was handed an ear piece, a microphone, and a surprising amount of lines to repeat after an offscreen actor – none of which I had anticipated doing. For those lucky enough to be brought on stage during an actual performance, prepare for an exciting (read: potentially frightening) few hours. The rest of the crowd can anticipate a thoughtful, and frequently funny, deconstruction of an already deconstructive body of work; a live film that not only captures a time and a feeling, but reinterprets those elements for a contemporary audience. I had a great time on both sides of the camera and am thankful to Gob Squad for the opportunity to act in an Andy Warhol film - even if it is half a century later."