,
Human Radiation: T
Short and Sweet
n Electricity, one of his more recent
performance pieces, artist Nelson
Smith juxtaposed a 14-foot electrical
tower with a bed and bathtub. In Hu-
man Radiation, the work he'll perform solo
tonight at Detroit Focus Gallery, Smith
interacts with a radio, which morphs into
a loaf of bread and then a book— all while
accompanying himself with vocal intona-
tions — something "in between pure
speech and pure singing," he explains.
Sound unusual? The Ferndale artist
confesses that even within the anything-
goes realm of performance art, his cre-
ations push the boundaries. "Sometimes
my work can be a little more challenging,"
he says, "because it's a little less recogniz-
able."
Smith will be among six area artists pre-
senting pieces in Short and Sweet, a ben-
efit for the nonprofit downtown gallery and
an opportunity for audiences to familiar-
ize themselves with the work of local per-
formance practitioners. Russell Taylor
(a.k.a. Satori Circus), Tern Sarris, Frank
Pahl, Barbara Neri, Sue Carman and
Smith will take the stage for roughly 10
minutes apiece.
Smith, who has presented his
art in the Detroit area since the
late '70s and coordinated the
event, says the group wanted to
avoid giving the impression that
the evening "is going to be a
marathon session" of perfor-
mance. Rather, "it's designed to
be a sampling of these six people's
work. The variety should be very
entertaining."
Sarris, a member of Ann Ar-
bor's The People Dancing Com-
pany, uses home movies that she
transfers onto video; composer
and musician Frank Pahl alters
instruments (his tuba chair, ex-
plains Smith, works something
like a whoopee cushion); Neri,
who also has a background in
dance, incorporates miscellaneous
objects into her work; founder of
the performance group the
Cathartic Circle, Carman uses
narrative to structure her pieces;
and Taylor, who has received
much local coverage, recently per-
formed his latest show for sever-
al weeks at 1515 Broadway.
—Liz Stevens
Nelson Smith sets his pieces in the context of "human psychological energy" and personifies household objects that then interact with the performer.
Et Short and Sweet: Live per
forrnanees by Satori Circus, Ter-
ri Sarris, Frank Pahl, Barbara
Neri, Sue Carman and Nelson
Smith will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23, at Detroit Fo-
cus Gallery, 33 E. Grand Riv-
er at Farmer, one block east of
Woodward. Minimum contri
bution for the evening is $12.
(313) 245-2233 or (313)'965
3245.
:
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AUDITIONS
Detroit Oratorio Society
seeks singers of all types for a
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Michigan Theatre and Dance
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COMEDY
Second City: Computer Chips
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Next to the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
(313) 965-2222.
with Spike Rizzo. Wednesday-
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p.m. Wednesday-Thunday; 8:15
and 10:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday;
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required. Open Mike Night 8:30
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Mark Ridley's Comedy Cas-
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Gay Comedy Jam with Scott
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78
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65 E. Huron, Pontiac. (810) 334-
6512.
DANCE
Joey's Comedy Club: Ricky
Kalmon, hypnotist, Friday-
Sunday, Feb. 23-25. 8:30 p.m.
Thursday; 8 and 10:30 p.m. Fri-
day-Saturday. $8-$10/$18.95-
$20.95 with dinner. 5070
Schaefer, Dearborn. (313) 584-
8885.
Contra Dances: Sponsored by
the Oakland County Tradition-
al Dance Society. Early Ameri-
can and English Dances the
fourth Saturday, 8-11 p.m.
($6/$7, smoke free) and second
Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. ($6) of
the month. All Saints Church,
Williams at Pike, Pontiac. (810)
569-7573.
Gino's Comedy Room: Bob
Posch, 9 p.m. every Friday. 1999
Cass Lake Road, Keego Harbor.
(810) 682-6540.
FAMILY
Janice Charach Epstein