Game Set Match
Physical Theatre by Motherboard

Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Premiere: 27 May 2004, Black Box Theatre, Oslo, Norway
Funding: Supported by the Arts Council Norway and the Audio Visual Fund


Manuscript: Emilia Brecht in collaboration with Motherboard
Music: Raymond Scott
The Woman: Kristine Øren
The Man: Hauk Heyerdahl

Attempting to win a tennis match when half of the court is simply not visible is to play a match against the unknown. As the match progresses the distinction between cause and effect is broken down. This is the setting for Motherboard's latest drama. The players, The Man and The Woman with both secrets to share and hide, are involved in an intricate battle of conflicts and intrigue where the rules of the game are constantly changing. Can such a match be resolved? That is a matter for the court to decide.

This drama is written for two players and an electronic ball machine. Competitive aspects of both physical sport, electronic gaming and sampling on both a conceptual and performative level play a significant role. Through the visual imagery of (half) a tennis court Game Set Match establishes an immediate common ground between the audience and the performance where familiar game rules are initially clear. However, an electronic ball machine situated in the "dark side" of the court takes on the role of an invisible opponent. One third of the manuscript exists as recorded samples ("voices") of the original text. Deviations from the game occur in the metaphorical, conceptual and actual fuzzylogical interplay of humans and machines and the glitches that occur when incompatible systems attempt to communicate. It is by utilizing this inevitable resistance creatively that we find our artistic expression and concider this piece relevant for ALT+CTRL.

Biographies

Motherboard: Motherboard (the Norwegian-based art group) is a collective of artists gathered around the core members, Per Platou and Amanda Steggell, for various projects. Since 1995 the majority of their work has taken the form of installations and performative live art happenings, mediated and modulated by the intermediary influence of the net, and often integrate audience participation and interaction. Through their ambitious vehicles they explore the materiality and resistance of the net as a mediating instance.

Per Platou: Studied media theory, criminology, history of ideas and film/drama in Oslo and London. Background in alternative media, mainly F.EKS magazine (90-97) and Radio Nova (84-93). He founded DBUT in 1989, an alternative distribution network, record company and production company for sound, film, art and media. In 1995 he started NOOD, a project dedicated to sound exchange on the internet, and has since then directed and produced a number of sound/art works and workshops. Freelance journalist on digital art and hacktivism, curator (notably "Written in Stone: A net.art archaeology", National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo 2003) and board member of the Norwegian Short Film Festival and BEK (Bergen Centre for Electronic Art).

Amanda Steggell: Residing in Norway since 1985. Studied dance at London College of Dance and Drama (1982-85), and choreography at the National College of Dance, Oslo (1992-94). Choreographed several full length works for the stage and screen. Worked as guest teacher at several institutions of visual and performing arts and has received a series of artist grants for investigation into performance technologies. Occasional VJ, shortfilm maker and webmistress. Amanda is currently a phd candidate researching network performance at The Norwegian Theatre Academy.

Hauk Heyerdahl: Educated at the National College of Theatre, Oslo, and Lee Strasberg, New York. Hauk has worked as a freelance actor since completing his education in 1999 and has performed with several free theatre groups including Team Tellus, ! bang and Passage Nord. He has also worked at Oslo Nye, Brageteatret, Agder Teater, Nationaltheatret and several TV and film productions. Game Set Match is Hauk’s first production with Motherboard.

Kristine Øren: Educated at the National College of Dance (1991-93). Kristine has been an active dancer in Oslo's free theatre scene since 1993, where she has worked with diverse groups, choreographers and theatre and TV productions. She debuted with her own choreographic work in the Oslo rock scene in 1995 with the glamrock Vampire State Building, and continues to be seduced by rock and glam as an expressive preference. Kristine has worked with Motherboard in several productions since 1996.

Emilia Brecht: Rumoured to be the daughter of the daughter of one of Brecht's lovers, Emilia is an illusive figure who prefers to keep out of the public eye. She nevertheless chooses to bare the name of her grandfather. Very little is known about her background and her earlier works. She claims that Game Set Match is her first work for the theatre, and it is her first collaboration with Motherboard.

Raymond Scott: The music in Game Set Match draws on the radical works of Raymond Scott (1904-94), mad professor, band leader, composer of cartoon music and one of the earliest and influencial pioneers of electronic music.

Images (click for larger image):

Basic technical requirements



Minimum space/stage requirements: 20m (w) x 14m (d) x 6m (h),
Other stage requirements: Black backdrops, preferably black floor (the court is marked out using white gaffer tape)
Public seating: Arena style, along half the width of the stage
Lighting requirements: (Roughly speaking, depending on space) 2 x par CP64, 2 x 5kw fresnel, 24 x 1kw profile (wide or zoomed, with shutters), 5 x brezkup gobo (striped), backstage working lights
Sound requirements: PA with minimum 4 speakers + sub, 4-bus mixer, 2 x CD Pro Player with single play mode




CONTACT
Produced by: Motherboard/Per Platou
Email: motherboard@pobox.com
Tel: +47 93069406
Web: www.liveart.org