DUOTRON

Fom Pioro Scaruffi’s History of Rock Music: “…a psychotic form of abstract pieces that mixed progressive-rock, noise, absurdist vaudeville, no wave and free-jazz, like a hybrid of Mars, Boredoms, God Is My Co-Pilot, Half Japanese and Art Bears…Duotron’s compositions were fits of delirium tremens. The girl wails and screams and mumbles, while she is beating the drums like a madwoman breaking kitchenware in a mental hospital. The guitar is never in tune (in fact they would break a couple of strings to make sure it could not possibly be in tune) and is generally strummed frantically at random (the guitar tunings were actually complex microtonal formula). Tracks (some as short as ten seconds) are sheer chaos.”

Background

Duotron was Rikkeh Suhtn and Jodie M’Kahn. It was formed in 1994 just as MATH was breaking up and called it quits by February 1996.

Discography

1998 Duotron. The Complete Book of Duotron (Scratch Records)
1997 Duotron. Duotron vs. Tom Smith (Menlo Park)
1996 Duotron. Battalia Feminil (Bulb)
1996 Duotron. OT/Duotr ON/Xerob(Coat-Tail)
1995 Duotron. 60-Second Compilation (Coat-Tail)
1995 Duotron. We Modern! We Now! (Bulb)

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The Dweller

It’s 2020 or 2021. 

My body sits in a little square staring at another a little square.

Shooting pain runs up and down my arms, which must be permanently bent to accommodate the apparatus. 

My back curves in, my shoulders fall toward my belly, each day my chin inches closer to my belly button.

Eyes have dried up, crusted over, and  falling out.

How can I heal the pain when I am confined to this space? 

I can dance.

Staff Only

Director Katarzyna Kalwat invited immigrants who live in Warsaw – artists and actors/actresses from various countries and cultures, to participate in the performance. The team wanted to confront the feeling of alienation and the need for redefinition of the identity of an actress/ actor – a resident of Poland. The performance originated from the need to integrate the immigrant artists. It’s an attempt to expand the notion of the national acting practices and redefine the national culture. Can theatre become the new Tower of Babel?

“‘Staff Only’ is not just an attempt to draw attention to the problems of immigrants-artists in our country. It is also a very specific proposal to make the change and break down some barriers.” 
— Magdalena Figzał-Janikowska, Teatralny.pl

’Staff Only’ astonishes the audience with the absurd, fun, humor and provocation. At times it resembles the Dadaistic Cabaret Voltaire. It intrigues with the aesthetic freedom, masterful play on eccentric instruments, palette of the costumes, spontaneity of the improvisations and irony.” 
— Krystyna Duniec, Dwutygodnik

Cast: Carlos Fernando Dimeo Alvarez, Jodie Baltazar, James Malcom, Ifi Ude

direction, set and costume design: Katarzyna Kalwat
dramaturgy: Piotr Grzymisławski
text: Beniamin Bukowski
music: Wojciech Blecharz
director’s assistant: Piotr Pacześniak
project coordinator: Ela Petruk