Though I wasn’t called in life to drive oxen, I have occasionally been driven to madness. There’s a narrow chasm between iconic Americana and our deeper desires toward temptation and deviance.  I think I’ll live, but someone should really examine me after this.

“As seen on TV, ” the ideal 50s and 60s sometimes painted a picture-perfect image of the American life, but simmering beneath the surface, were always subversive leanings toward immorality and injustice juxtaposing it.

“Pie, Picket Fences & Purgatory, ” through the mediums of film and performance art, attempts to reveal how the euphemistic “American Dream” falls between the cracks of the perfect picket fence/apple pie-idealism.

My inspiration came from Ben Moss’s film I saw at Monkey Town in Brooklyn, (now closed), almost two years ago. I remember falling in love with the pulp-retro-feel, and the iconic 50s images. It was meant to be that he and join our forces yet again, to produce this  absurd blend of performance art.

This Friday is almost here and I had no time with my one guest artist, and niece, Dori, so I rehearsed over the phone. That’s a first! I actually choreographed her part without moving at all. How this is all going to come together, will be very interesting, no doubt.  I had four separate rehearsals with all four cast members, but somehow I’ll have to trust that they will blend all their parts  into this cauldron of insanity I’ve written–the dress rehearsal will be in fine form!

I can’t wait for you all to see The Factory Underground in Norwalk, CT. This “diamond in the ruff,” is really like a funky SoHo gallery. I have six artists featured in the gallery, all depicting either Amercana themes, or themes of purgatory. This event is dedicated to the folks from Joplin, MO, and Springfield, Ma, who suffered through the devastating tornadoes this past Spring. We’ll have an apple pie raffle with all proceeds going to the relief efforts.

Hope to see you there, but keep in mind, I  may not all be there!

P.S. Show went great! Here’s a slideshow of the event with photos by Fay Li.