Full Evening of Entertainment Planned for Alternative Media Conference

Plainfield, Vt. — Goddard College announced today that the culmination of its May 18th Alternative Media Conference will be a show titled Combustible Cabaret/Digital Vaudeville curated by Ben t. Matchstick.

The show will feature Old-World painted banner shows, hip-hop puppet shows, mobile digital projection vehicles, and the Indonesian musical instrument, gamelan Sulukala.

A gamelan is a set of melodically tuned percussion instruments, like giant vibraphones, all played by an ensemble.

Burlington typewriter poet Ben Aleshire, New York City comedienne Cathleen Carr, flamenco duo Taina Asili and Guetano Vaccaro, and Clare Dolan from the Museum of Everyday Life in Glover, Vermont, will all perform in the cabaret, along with puppeteers and hip-hop artists Derek Smith and M. Tree Sampson showcasing a surrealist epic entitled “Atlas Joint” with two wisecracking cardboard raccoons. The Master of Ceremonies is Philadelphia theater-maker Morgan Andrews, and Orca Media will provide video support and documentation.

The Digital Vaudeville portion of the evening interweaves videos from Adultswim.com, the revolutionary media pioneers Videofreex, as well as a curated set of pioneering videos from YouTube. New York City artist Mark Read will be presenting a powerful tool for media activism: a high-powered, mobile digital projection van called the Illuminator.

“Despite the multiplicity of media sources that are working non-stop for our attention,” said Matchstick, “one form of attention-grabbing that is still an undisputed method for reaching the masses is live performance.”

Matchstick is also presenting an interactive oracle known as “the Randomizojustificator,” which was on exhibit at Studio Place Arts in Barre, Vermont, last January.

These artists will also be coming together to show new works intermittently throughout the Alternative Media Conference. The first of these new works is an early morning collaboration known as “the Squeegee Show.” As the attendees arrive in their vehicles, they will be treated to a drive-through performance that concludes with the cleansing of the windshield. A sculpture park, painted banner shows, cranky shows, and a Japanese kamishibai (“paper theater”) will provide previews of the evening Cabaret’s offerings throughout the day.

“The Combustible Cabaret and Digital Vaudeville promises to be packed with thought-provoking and edgy performance that will stimulate the senses and tickle your brain stem,” said Matchstick.

The Combustible Cabaret/Digital Vaudeville is $10, or free with admission to the Alternative Media Conference. The performance takes place in the Haybarn Theatre and the doors open at 7:30pm, with the show beginning at 8pm. The Cabaret is recommended for audiences 18 years and older.