INTERVIEW: James Harrison Monaco on his electro rhythmic travelogue
Photo: Travels was written by and stars James Harrison Monaco. Photo courtesy of Ben Arons / Provided by Everyman Agency with permission.
James Harrison Monaco is breaking down theatrical barriers at Ars Nova, the cutting-edge arts institution that is currently hosting Monaco’s new show, Travels, directed by Andrew Scoville and running through April 20. This unique theatrical experience, which runs 90 minutes, is essentially a travelogue, a tableau of stories set to Monaco’s original music.
The writer also stars in the show, alongside El Beh, Ashley De La Rosa, Mehry Eslaminia and John Murchison, according to press notes. The fact that Monaco brought this show to Ars Nova makes sense; after all, he has been associated with the theatrical institution for a decade. The artist and theater are perfectly paired to deliver this sonic narrative collection.
Recently Monaco exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to show audience members what’s behind the curtain of Travels. His biography stresses his desire to tell stories via music, which is one of the oldest forms of communication. His other professional roles include everything from translator to nonfiction writer, and his work has appeared at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, MASS MoCA, The Bushwick Starr and The Momentary. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How have performances of Travels been going?
They’ve been going well! We’ve had great responses from the audiences, and we’ve learned a lot about how to do the show in its best form. The performers, designers and crew have all done and are doing just wonderful work. I am loving doing this show.
What exactly does the audience experience over the course of the evening?
The piece is a hybrid of a live short story collection and an electronic music set — five performers bring eight stories about travel and immigration to life through music, narration, and very alive lights and projections and sound, all on a set that feels like a listening bar.
Do you feel that the piece pushes the boundary of what constitutes theater?
I do in a way. Of course, music and storytelling have been combined in theater for some thousands of years, but I think the way live electronic music and beats weave through this one, and the way the design brings that further to life, is special and hopefully feels quite new.
Where does the audience travel to in this piece?
Hmmmm, I’m not sure our goal is for the audience to necessarily travel somewhere, but maybe the audience travels into the minds of people who have had some remarkable (and intense and politically infuriating) travel and migration experiences. Those experiences involve New York, Iran, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Switzerland and Mexico, among other places.
What’s it like working with Ars Nova?
Ars Nova programs what to me is some of the most exciting work in New York, and they support pretty out there visions from the very beginning. I’m very grateful to be working with them. We had a big vision for how this show wanted to look and sound from the beginning, and Ars Nova has done a wonderful job bringing that vision fully to life.
Have you explored the many different ways that cultures have told stories via music?
I think in ways that’s the goal of this piece, even if not explicitly on the surface (for instance, while the show discusses the Mexican genre of corridos, there are no corridos in the show; and while the show also discusses reggaetón and Arabic song, neither of those things are explicitly in the show either). But in my work I’m always pondering those questions: What are the different remarkable traditions and innovations from all around the world in ways music and story combine? And then in this show, how those inspirations get fused together into something that works well with electronic music?
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Travels, written by and starring James Harrison Monaco, continues through April 20 at Ars Nova on West 54 Street in Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
