How many times has somebody said to me, “Hey Ryan! I know you are so busy creating music, videos, animations, art, drawings, fictional worlds, operas, and other esoteric yet enrichening activities. But where can I find your extraordinary creative activities in the outside world?”
Where do I begin?
I guess I will begin by introducing to my readers a group of extremely talented and dedicated thespians who I have had the pleasure of working with on several projects over the past year.
They call themselves “Aztec Economy“, and they are an “experimental” theater company, and I put the word in quotes to help put the word “theater” into a special relativity.
I met the Aztec Economy on Craig’s List. I was just sitting at my computer one day, wondering what other amazing accomplishments I might achieve if I put my mind to it, when I came across a listing for a theater company looking for a sound designer. I said to myself, “Ryan, sound design for theater is one of the few things you haven’t yet tried, why don’t you contact them and see what happens. After all, few people know more about sound than you do.”
So I sent them an email, they emailed me back, I emailed them back, they emailed me back, and then we had a face-to-face in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. I could tell immediately that these guys knew what was going on. They were so cool, and at the same time, so out of touch, that I couldn’t resist their charm.
To make a long story not quite so long, they needed sound for a theater piece they were developing, that had no script and no plot. All they knew was that it was based on a loose combination of Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone With the Wind” and Sophocles’ play “Antigone“. They wanted barking dogs for the Greek chorus, artillery fire for the Civil War, water dripping, footsteps overhead, toilets flushing, traffic and weather reports, and wind.
I said yes immediately. How could I resist? I love traffic and weather together!
We worked together for months. I did my small part. And then we put on a show -
Starring the amazing and talented and nice and beautiful Darcie Champagne. Called, “Antigone With the Wind”. Directed by Cole Wimpee, and “written” by Casey Wimpee (his twin brother!).
What a wonderful time.
What slowly occurred to me was that this play was the second in a trilogy called “Battleplays”.
I was in for more than I bargained for.
Because now we are making the third play of this epic trilogy, titled “Night is a Tramp”. If you clicked on their link, you see what I mean. It’s not quite out of control, but it threatens to be.
In any case, Cole Wimpee, Casey Wimpee, Michael Mason, and Darcie Champagne are the stars of this epic adventure and I just got a an alto saxophone on ebay and am learning to play it, in order to fully participate in the madness that promises to ensue.
So that’s one thing I’ve been up to. Now you know.
