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Steven&Whiteley&
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for$actor$and$electronics$
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(2014)&
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Revised$in$2018$
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The&performer&should&wear&all&black&and&remain&seated&in&a&chair&throughout&the&entire&piece.&
The&performance&should&be&done&preferably&in&a&dark&space&with&a&spotlight&or&lighting&that&brings&attention&to&the&performer.&
The&electronics&are&to&be&liveBtriggered&for&their&entrance&as&indicated&in&the&score,&preferably&by&somebody&other&than&the&
performer.&If&this&is&not&possible&then&they&may&use&a&foot&switch&to&trigger&the&entrance.&
The&electronics&track&is&a&stereo&file&that&can&be&duplicated&for&a&4,&6&or&8&speaker&setup&to&enhance&the&sound&experience.&If&in&a&
larger&space&I&recommend&using&a&clipBon&microphone&for&the&performer.&
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Duration:&approximately&7:30&
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[&&&&&&]&[&&&&]&[&&]&[&]&[]&
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The&piece&seeks&to&explore&the&relationship&between&words&as&phonetic&sound&objects&and&words&as&semantic,&communicative&
devices,&as&well&as&how&changes&in&dramatic&action&and&speech&affects&the&audience's&perception&of&the&actedBout&role&or&
'character.'&Some&devices&I&am&interested&in&using&have&to&do&with&phrase&repetition–&where&continuous&repetitive&utterances&
transfer&the&listener's&attention&back&and&forth&between&a&word's&meaning&and&a&word's&phonetic&qualities;&sentence&
deconstruction–&where&a&phrase&is&deconstructed&to&individual&words,&then&to&syllables,&then&to&individual&letters,&then&
reconstructed&back&again;&speech&with&character&change–&the&alteration&in&sound&quality&that&the&phrases&take&on&based&on&the&
different&dramatic&'characters'&the&actor&embodies&and&the&way&the&visual&and&auditory&acting&devices&affect&the&audience's&
perception&of&repeated&phrases;&character&juxtaposition–&the&investigation&of&the&aesthetic&of&drastically&juxtaposed&
rolechanges&and&quick&emotional&shifts&and&the&way&in&which&that&affects&how&audience&engages&with&the&actor's&character.&
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*Score&graphics&by&Ian&Langehough&
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World&Premiere&–&March&2014&in&Tanna&Schulich&Hall&at&McGill&University&in&Montreal,&Canada&by&Ruthie&PytkaBJones.&
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Europe&Premiere&–&December&2016&in&Casa&Cava&at&the&MA/IN&Matera&Intermedia&Festival&in&Matera,&Italy&by&Eleanor&Claps&
(received&Honorary&Mention&Award).&
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Ireland&Premiere&–&June&2017&at&Smock&Alley&Theater&at&the&Dublin&Music&Current&Festival&by&Elizabeth&Hilliard.&
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USA&Premiere&–&May&2018&at&the&Kitchen&at&the&MATA&Festival&in&New&York&City&by&Charlotte&Mundy.& &
 Notes for the Performer

In the score the four staves are indicated as follows: thought, speech, action and electronics.

Thought – The closest attention should be paid to this staff as it drives the dramatic gestures and provides a psychological
context for the performer actions, which encompasses the subsequent staves (speech and action). Whenever ‘…at your
discretion’ is indicated in the score, it should be known that ‘discretion’ fundamentally means ‘with respect to the dramatic
role that is specified,’ described in the ‘thought’ staff. This is your character description, which provides you with outlines on
what sort of psychological headspace you are embodying during this piece.

Speech – This staff should not be interpreted graphically; it only serves as visual reference for what sounds should be made
during the given time frame.

Action – This staff only serves as visual reference for what bodily actions should be made during the given time frame. There
are several gestures indicated in the score as 1, 2, 3, and 4, and represent the following:

gesture 1 gesture 2 gesture 3 gesture 4

*The performer should have the piece memorized and not rely on a timer or score during the performance of this piece. They
should rely on aural cues in the tape part to signal the different sections. Using a score or timer will compromise the dramatic
and visual effect of this piece.