Thursday July 12th, 2008, 8PM
THE NEW TALKIES: Live Film Narration 2008
 Artists Television Access - 992 Valencia - San Francisco

Tonight's program is inspired by the work of the katsudo benshi, the Japanese artist of cinematic narration during the silent movie era. Benshis were the actors, writers, and orators who accompanied films live in the theater to explain, voice and comment on the screen action.

In our neo-benshi adaptation of the format for a modern sensibility, each writer/performer takes a film scene, mutes the dialog, then devises a new script (sometimes with sound effects) to interpret, ventriloquize and even sing both with and against the film.  Their performances serve to subvert, amplify and hijack the original visuals.

In addition to several world premieres from local Bay Area artists, we are delighted to have been able to lure three performers from events in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, where we participated in neo-benshi cabarets over the last year.

The bill features performances by

Plus some other merriments to be added.


"Neo-benshi at its best mashes up subversive written scripts, deft acting, and acrobatic mind-eye coordination."
 - Steve Dickison, The Poetry Center, SFSU