Episode 7: The Fantastical Worlds of Immersive Theater with Noah Nelson

Episode 7: The Fantastical Worlds of Immersive Theater with Noah Nelson

Arts Talk welcomes Noah Nelson, Professor of Experience Design and Production at CalArts School of Theater and the founder of No Proscenium, a publication dedicated to exploring the immersive and experiential arts, alongside its sister site Everything Immersive and The Immersive Experience Institute. A leading producer in the immersive industry who has helmed notable events, including The Next Stage (2023), the Denver Immersive Gathering (2022), the Los Angeles Immersive Invitational (2019 & 2022), and the Immersive Design Summit (2018 & 2019), Nelson dives into the history of immersive theater as a distinctive form of participatory entertainment to unpack how it is expanding the analog legacies and dimensions of more traditional theater experiences and reshaping the possibilities of what theater can be. Together, Noah and Josh consider how the interactive potentials of immersive theater are uniquely poised for the expectations of today’s audiences as they become increasingly accustomed to the agency and input that contemporary media and technology afford.  Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim. Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "Triangles & Rhombuses," by Boards of Canada  "The Specialist Visits," composed by John Williams  "In this Twilight," by Nine Inch Nails “Amo Bishop Rosen,” by Boards of Canada “Rêverie," composed by Claude Debussy "White Cyclosa," by Boards of Canada "New Seeds," by Boards of Canada "Binary Sunset," composed by John Williams  "Stranger Things Title Sequence," composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein “Psyche," by Massive Attack "Dissolved Girl," by Massive Attack "Back to the Future Theme,” composed by Alan Silvestri "Back to the Future Overture," composed by Alan Silvestri "Paradise Circus" by Massive Attack Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun [https://joshkun.com/], USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim [https://www.matteahbaim.com/].  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu [https://artsnow.usc.edu/]

Episode 6: Choreography as a Commitment to Expansion with Alonzo King

“When you understand the body as an instrument that the mind and heart can play, then the whole world opens up for you.” In episode 6, we are joined by Alonzo King, choreographer, artistic director and cofounder of LINES Ballet, a visionary dance company that is redefining the possibilities of contemporary ballet. Guided by King’s singular vision, LINES has graced the stages of renowned venues around the world, including the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Maison de la Dance de Lyon, the Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, the Wolfsburg Festival, the Holland Dance Festival, and the Théâtre National de Chaillot. In this episode, King joins us to discuss how dance serves as a model for new ways of being and new forms of belonging and shares how his upbringing as the son of leaders in Georgia’s Albany Movement, a key campaign in the fight for Civil Rights, continues to influence his approach to choreography and his intentional pursuit of collaboration. Working closely with an enviable roster of multidisciplinary artists, including Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer, King has led LINES with an artistic vision invested in exploring how movement can facilitate a collective commitment to expansion.    Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim. Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast.   Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "Journey in Satchidananda," Alice Coltrane "Body and Soul," Jason Moran “Refraction," music composed and performed by Jason Moran for LINES Ballet "For Love," Jason Moran “Meyer," composed by Edgar Meyer for LINES Ballet Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295 "Cuckoo and the Nightingale": III. Larghetto, composed by George Frederic Handel, conducted by Trevor Pinnock, performed by The English Concert and Simon Preston "Gentle Shifts South," Jason Moran "Scheherazade Pas de Deux," Zakir Hussain re-interprets music composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for LINES Ballet "Follow the Light," Jason Moran "Lift Every Voice,” Lyrics by James Weldon Johnson, composed by J. Rosamond Johnson, performed by Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer "Deep River,” composed by Jason Moran for LINES Ballet, performed by Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer "Come and Go with Me to the Land,” Bernice Johnson Reagan  Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun [https://joshkun.com/], USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim [https://www.matteahbaim.com/].  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu [https://artsnow.usc.edu/]

Episode 5: The Magic of Lines with Shantell Martin

Arts Talk welcomes Shantell Martin, celebrated visual artist, performer, songwriter, choreographer, teacher, philosopher, and member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to reflect upon the magic of lines, a distinctive figure in her work, and to share how collaboration functions as central to her expansive artistic practice. The first Artist in Residence at USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), Martin discusses the importance of bringing artists together with engineers and scientists to explore the generative intellectual and practical intersections of these fields. She shares how her current work with USC’s ISI is harnessing the creative possibilities of AI in a new era of learning models to imagine alternative modes of engaging with art and developing adaptable and practical frameworks for preserving artistic legacies that prioritize estate planning and ownership. Recognized internationally for her artistic and charitable contributions, Martin has collaborated with key artists, institutions and brands, including Kendrick Lamar, Kelly Wearstler, the Boston Ballet, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany & Co., Adidas and Puma, and her work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum, Denver Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of the Moving Image, The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, New Britain Museum of American Art, and MoMA, among many others. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim. Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "I Stand You Stand" by Shantell Martin "Flowing Spiritual" by Shantell Martin "Picking Up" by Shantell Martin "Present Word #17 – 2024 July 8-06" by Shantell Martin “Forget" by Shantell Martin “Ourselves" by Shantell Martin “Snowglobe" by Shantell Martin KOOL FM 94.5 London Pirate Radio (Early 90s) "Inner City Life" by Goldie "Sum of It All” by Shantell Martin Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun [https://joshkun.com/], USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim [https://www.matteahbaim.com/].  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu [https://artsnow.usc.edu/]

Episode 4: Theater as an Act of Radical Mediation with Bryan Doerries

“Theater is an act of radical mediation that can create spaces where people can hear each other.” In episode 4, we are joined by Bryan Doerries, writer, translator, and Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions (@theaterofwar), a social impact company that reimagines live theater and community-specific productions as an interactive means for fostering constructive, global conversations that take up the pressing issues confronting our ever-polarized cultural and political moment. Enlisting acclaimed actors in the performance of ancient Greek plays and public readings of contemporary long-form journalism, Theater of War tackles public health and social issues through engaged productions that prioritize audience reactions and discussions as central to the main event. In this episode, Doerries shares how his own experience navigating personal loss brought him back to ancient Greek tragedies as a key source for learning how to navigate trauma, offering an affective roadmap for how to sit in and with difference and discomfort by laying bare our shared vulnerabilities and asking us to confront the preconceptions that too often inhibit our ability to find shared humanity in individuals unlike ourselves.    Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "Music for 18 Musicians: Section II," Steve Reich "Electric Counterpoint," Steve Reich "Four Organs," Steve Reich "The Desert Music: Third Movement, Pt. 1 (Slow)," Steve Reich "Octet," Steve Reich Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun [https://joshkun.com/], USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim [https://www.matteahbaim.com/].  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu [https://artsnow.usc.edu/]

Episode 3: The Creative Matchmaking of Music Supervision with Sarah McMullen

“What’s the best song for two people kissing in the rain in 1926?” In episode three, we are joined by music executive and recording artist Sarah McMullen, who is leading the way as part of a new generation of music supervisors redefining what that role means and what it means for the future of music itself. The new ears behind beloved film and TV company A24’s [https://a24films.com/] music supervision slate, Sarah's resume includes dynamic projects with Netflix, Apple, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and more. In this episode, Sarah shares how the creative challenge of clearing samples and placing music in film, television and beyond is shaped by her family’s own notable musical legacy, details how she is navigating the introduction of AI into a rapidly changing music and technological environment, and offers advice for aspiring supervisors on how to set boundaries for success in creative fields.   Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock The New Lost City Ramblers Mother Maybelle Carter “Skyscraper,” Sarah McMullen “Never Too Much,” Luther Vandross Sweet Emma Barrett And Her New Orleans Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show (Live), Kendrick Lamar “Reunion,” Matthew Herbert  Matteah Baim Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun [https://joshkun.com/], USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim [https://www.matteahbaim.com/].  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu [https://artsnow.usc.edu/]