Dance • Poetry • Storytelling • Art • Music
Performance

Nadia Hava-Robbins
PO Box 990667
Redding, CA 96099
(530) 229-7818
bohemian@snowcrest.net

Don't miss our next major event!

On the Verge of Absurdity

The Traveling Bohemians! return this fall with a new original performance, "On the Verge of Absurdity", a uniquely thought provoking yet entertaining evening of spoken word, music, song, dance, and art. Directed by Nadia Hava-Robbins, MA, storyteller, dancer, and poet, and featuring the works of Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, as well as a variety of Redding's best artists, this show promises to be their best yet!

Saturday, November 16, 2002 at 8:00 PM. Old City Hall. 1313 Market Street Redding. General admission $8.00, at the door or at Bernie's Guitar 3086 Bechelli Lane 223-2040. For information call 530-229-7818 or email bohemian@snowcrest.net

Saturday, November 16, 2002
8:00 in the Evening
The Old City Hall
1313 Market Street
Redding, CA





Performance, Art, and Philosophy

by Nadia Hava-Robbins, MA 10/1/02
The Traveling Bohemians! return this fall with a new original performance, "On the Verge of Absurdity", a uniquely thought provoking yet entertaining evening of spoken word, music, song, dance, and art.

This performance is about absurdity, existentialism, and individualism. Absurdity in our lives is certainly not a novel concept. Take communication, for example. At times it has become absurd and meaningless, perhaps because of the disparity between what is said and what is done. One of Samuel Beckett's characters remarked, "My dear have you ever thought we speak a dead language?" To many of us, language does seem dead. Words appear to be a series of lifeless objects strung together in a hopeless attempt to convey a meaning or a feeling. Lev Shestov remarked, "Perhaps truth by its nature makes communication between people impossible, in any case, communication by the intermediary of words. Everyone may know it for himself, but in order to enter into relations with his fellow men he must renounce truth and adopt any conventional lie."

Another example of absurdity arises out of examining man's existence as being meaningless or without purpose. It is no wonder than mankind has pre-occupied himself throughout history with finding meaning in his life. Ultimately, though, it is the responsibility of each individual to find his/her own meaning or purpose in this chaotic world and to make decisive choices about one's own future in order to achieve dignity as a human being. Albert Camus felt that it was necessary to ponder the meaning of life and the absence thereof, and that the human being longed for some sense of clarity in the world. He said, "If the world were clear, art would not exist." To take it a step further, Czeslaw Milosz concludes, "Poetry, every art, is a flaw and reminds human societies that we are not healthy, even if we confess it with difficulty."

Obviously, art - every kind of art - plays an important role in our lives. Camus felt that art is an essential and fundamental human activity, expressing aspirations to freedom and beauty. Art defies the notion that individual existence is nothing more than a social unit and an insignificant component in the evolution of history. He notes that when artists are involved in their art they become truly themselves, reaching their individual pinnacle of human existence.

Therefore, in keeping with this absurd, chaotic world of ours, the Traveling Bohemians! have created an absurd performance, only to conclude that everything is really OK as long as we become conscious of the absurdity of our situation and try to take fate into our own hands as much as we can under whatever circumstances.

This performance includes the works of Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, but primarily showcases original works of poets, writers, storytellers, Craig Boyer, Constance Mae Craver, Larry Harris, Sara Hoxie, and Shane Weissman; musicians and songwriters, Suze Altieri, Nick Ciampi, Wade Craver, Brian J. Kenny, and Garrett Sorenson; dancers Carolyn Burleigh, Jinjer Rader, and Suzanne Sullivan; and artist Joseph Aulde. Directed by Nadia Hava-Robbins, MA, poet, storyteller, and dancer, who also performs in the show, it promises to be their best yet.

Saturday, November 16, 2002 at 8:00 PM. Old City Hall. 1313 Market Street Redding. General admission $8.00, at the door or at Bernie's Guitar 3086 Bechelli Lane 223-2040. For information call 530-229-7818 or email bohemian@snowcrest.net.



Come and support your finest local artists! For information call Nadia at 530-229-7818 or email bohemian@snowcrest.net

"KeyWords"="Redding, California, Dance, Poetry, Art, Music, Storytelling, performance, open mic, culture, shasta"