2008:  a special note to the virtual audience

In the spirit of experimental performance, the author of 13 ways to kill a mockingbird invites you to make yourself at home in this electronic installation.  Please feel free to skip around.  You may download and remix the videos, bookmark any pages you want to find easily again, write your own verdict when you get to The Trial of Atticus Finch, email the author at any point to ask for clarification or just to chat, or confront the author at the next National Communication Association meeting and tell her what you think. At times, I will draw your attention to an image or video clip, and you will be able to decide for yourself if it is an illustration, translation, supplement or fulfillment of the performance.  At this point you may want to jump to the footnotes[1] for an explanation of the last sentence.  Before you read, you may want to download parts of the installation so you don’t tie up your bandwidth or, for those of you who are still on dial-up, you don’t miss too many calls, since this could take awhile--some of the pages have a lot of video.  I recommend that you visit the installations in a place in which you are comfortable.  I kind of picture you on a porch swing with your laptop propped open and a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade at the ready but that is up to you. If you have other stuff you need to read, bring it all out there on the porch and make an afternoon of it.

Welcome, and many thanks for your participation in this experiment.

2004:  a special note to the actual audience

In the spirit of experimental performance, the cast and crew of 13 ways to kill a mockingbird invite you to make yourselves at home in our “walk-in world.”  Please feel free to move around the performance space and view the videos and object installations.  You may sit at the table, speak with the performers, record your “verdict” following “The Trial of Atticus Finch” in our audience response area, help Ham set the table, enjoy some lemonade on the back porch, etc.  You’ll need to move around.  At times, we will draw your attention to a projection on the large screen or to live scenes staged in and around the installations.  When this happens, you may want to move in for a closer look, or find a seat from which you can view the action, or move back for a more distanced view.  A performer may ask you to step aside so she can get her costume piece out of the chifforobe.  Each of the live scenes only happens once, so we ask that you remain in the theatre or on the “back porch” until the house lights come on— approximately 100 minutes after we admit you.  If you have backpacks or other items you want to check in order to move about more freely, you may leave them with the ticket-taker just inside the theatre door.

Welcome, and many thanks for your participation in this experiment.