Step Into the Director’s Chair with Strike Anywhere’s “Festus” at NACL

Festus, presented by the interdisciplinary ensemble Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble, invites participants to play games, solve puzzles, and share stories—all of which are transformed into live music, movement, and theater in real time.

Strike Anywhere’s Leece Walker and Ralph Sturm spoke with Radio Catskill about what audiences can expect.

“We’re going to invite folks to join us in some art making,” said Walker. “We’ll be playing games, doing writing, drawing, cutting paper, and possibly even making shadow puppets. Anything that the audience creates becomes fodder for us to sound paint with during the show.”

Sound painting, explained Walker, is a universal sign language for live composition. “I’ll be signing to performers—dancers, musicians, and actors—who respond in improvisation according to the signs. I can pump up the volume, ask an actor to improvise as a newscaster, or go quietly, and the performers react immediately.”

Sturm, who will be among the performers responding to these live instructions, described the process as “magical.” He said, “You have to be in the moment, eyes and ears open, because you don’t know what the sound painter will sign next or how others will respond. It’s very direct and improvisational, but not necessarily comedic—it can be abstract or poignant.”

Festus is a departure from Strike Anywhere’s previous community-based projects, Walker explained.

“In the past, we’ve spent weeks engaging communities to gather content for shows. This is fast-paced—a flash content gathering style where audience contributions are woven directly into the performance on the spot. This is development in action, happening here for the first time at NACL.”

Audience members will have the opportunity to create shadow puppets in response to prompts, which will immediately be incorporated into the live performance.

Strike Anywhere, founded in 1997, has evolved from director-driven productions to deeply community-focused work. “About 10 or 12 years in, we started working directly with communities, deriving the content of the show from their experiences rather than from the director’s brain,” Walker said. Past projects have tackled topical issues like fracking, engaging local residents in the creative process and taking the resulting performances to other communities and even international venues.

Sturm emphasized the ongoing importance of community engagement.

“Wherever we go, we conduct new interviews to understand what’s happening in that community. The performance is tailored, timely, and can spark dialogue and action even after the show ends.”

Festus will be performed at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday at NACL. For more information on the ensemble and the event, visit strikeanywhere.info and nacl.org.

Image: The Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble will present an interactive performance called FESTUS at NACL on August 30. (Credit: Strike Anywhere)