Solo performance is the perfect excuse for performers to experiment with ‘the self’, therefore creating an element of autobiography through performance. Carlson suggests: ‘For the general public this still remains the most familiar and accessible manifestation of this movement’ (2004, p.126). I am in agreement with Carlson and put this down to the audience expecting a sense of normality and being inquisitive of other people’s life stories. Even though solo performance has a growing reputation I feel it’s audience is still a niche market due to the general audience being wary of the more expressive performance art.
Autobiographical performance is included in many solo forms, one of the most popular being stand up comedy. Many comedians such as Russell Howard and Sarah Millican use their own lives and experiences to gather material for their performances, often speaking of their friends and families which is something I admire being very family focused myself. Though I expect their portrayals to be some what exaggerated, I am humbled that established artists still look close to home for inspiration.
Other artists such as Eric Bogosian use autobiography through a mixture of stand up and performance art, creating monologues to present a contemporary take on autobiographical performance. Freedman comments on Bogosian’s characterisation and describes him as ‘less a writer or actor than a mixture of stand-up comic and performance art’ (ctd in: Carlson, 2004, p.126). Bogosian comments on his position and I am in agreement that: ‘I don’t really care what you call it. That’s not important. What’s important is effect’ (ctd in: Carlson, 2004, p.127).
Unlike Bogosian who through solo performance ‘[explores] concerns vital to the performer’s psyche’ (Carlson, 2004, p.126), Spalding Gray approaches autobiography in a different manner. When approaching the contemporary monologue Gray ‘utilizes a distinctly more individualized autobiographical narrative that avoids the alternate “selves” which have a tendency to crystallize into new “characters” with a distinctly “theatrical” feel’ (Carlson, 2004, p.127). While Gray uses his own experiences at the forefront of his performances by choosing to stage these sat at a table with just a glass of water the performance holds a clear linear narrative, letting the audience follow the story in order as Gray tells it.
In seeing the many paths that solo performaners tend to take when dealing with solo performance, I am confident that I can include an element of autobiography within my own performance. When working on my script I hope that the path I take will come naturally and this is something that I am looking forward to discovering.
Works Cited
Carlson, Marvin. (2004). Performance: A Critical Introduction (Second Edition). New York: Routledge.
Gray, Spalding. (1985). Swimming to Cambodia – Part One. Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCGmra0eFQk Accessed: Wednesday 3 April 2013.
Howard, Russell. (2011). Right Here Right Now Tour. Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBDTJCwwds Accessed: Wednesday 3 April 2013.