Shadowland Live (Episodes 4 & 5)
“The effect is of watching, say, a vintage episode of ‘As the World Turns’ while under the influence of a heavy hallucinogen”
– Ben Brantley, The New York Times
Episode 4 – The Crystal Ship
Episode 5 – Hallucitania
John Jesurun’s cross-media storytelling returns as Shadowland Live, a continuation of his webserial Shadowland. His exploded narrative form is a continuously revised “plot” created and shot in front of an audience. A combination of the memorized, improvised, playback, music, media and the internet. Two new episodes take on the changing perception of reality manipulated by ubiquitous mediation and a host of virtuosic veteran performers and new talents.
John Jesurun is a writer/director/media artist living in New York. His presentations integrate elements of language, film, architectural space and media. His exploded narratives cover a wide range of themes and explore the relation of form to content. They challenge the experience of verbal, visual and intangible perceptions. His work is distinguished by his integrated creation of the text, direction, set and media design.
B.F.A. Philadelphia College of Art, 1972. M.F.A. in Sculpture from Yale University, 1974. 1976-79, Television Content Analyst for CBS Television.1979-82, Assistant to producer, Dick Cavett Show, producing shows on John and Mackenzie Phillips,Alberta Hunter, John Hammond Sr., Odetta and Tito Puente.
In 1982 he began his theatrical career in New York with his groundbreaking serial play Chang in a Void Moon, now in its 60th episode. (Bessie Award). Since 1984 he has written, directed and designed over thirty plays including: the media trilogy of Deep Sleep (1986 Obie Award, Best Play), White Water and Black Maria, Red House, Shatterhand Massacree, Faust/How I Rose, Everything That Rises Must Converge,Slight Return and Snow.
He is the recipient of numerous awards including fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, NEA, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Asian Cultural Council,US-Japan Friendship Commission. He is a 1996 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. He has taught theater at Goethe University/ Frankfurt, Justus Liebig University/Giessen, DASARTS/Amsterdam, Experimental Theater Wing/New York University, Tokyo University, Kyoto University of Art and Design, The New School, Carnegie Mellon University, and Bard College.
His company has toured extensively in Europe and the United States and has directed his productions in English, Spanish,Italian, Japanese and German. His work has been produced and presented by numerous venues including La Mama, the Kitchen, the Walker Arts Center, On the Boards, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Wexner Center, Kampnagel Theater, Prater Theater, National Theater of Mexico, Mickery Theater, Maubeuge Festival, De Singel, Theater am Turm, Granada Festival, Eurokaz Zagreb, Bogota International Festival, Vienna Festival, Kyoto Performing Arts Center and Spoleto USA. His short films have been shown at festivals and alternative spaces in Europe and the US. August 2009. He has worked with various artists including Molissa Fenley, Christian Marclay, Jeff Buckley, John Kelly, Juliette Mapp, Hideo Kanze, Neil Greenberg, David Cale, René Pollesch, Fiona Templeton, Frank Maya, Steve Buscemi, Martin Acosta, Fred Frith and Ron Vawter. Recent projects include: Liz One at the Chocolate Factory, Firefall at DTW,Stopped Bridge of Dreams at La Mama, Chang in a Void Moon at Incubator. Other projects include: Harry Partch’s opera “Delusion of the Fury” at the Japan Society, Philoktetes at Soho Rep, Roy Nathanson’s Jazz Suite “Fire at Keaton’s Bar and Grill” w/Debby Harry and Elvis Costello at St. Ann’s and Royal Festival Hall, London.
His work is published by Performing Arts Journal, Theater Communications Group, Sun and Moon Press, Theater der Zeit,Yale Theater Magazine, On Stage Press,Index, and Felix.New publications include “Shatterhand Massacree and Other Media Texts” published by Performing Arts Journal and “Deep Sleep, White Water, Black Maria, A Media Trilogy” published by No Passport Press. Find out more on his website.