Jerk (play)
Encyclopedia
Jerk is a one-person puppet play
by the American writer Dennis Cooper
, made in collaboration with director Gisèle Vienne and performer Jonathan Capdevielle, based on Cooper's 1993 novel of the same name. It is based on the story of serial killer
Dean Corll
and his teenage accomplices David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley
. The play develops the conceit that Brooks has learnt puppetry in prison and, as part of his rehabilitation, acts out the murders in which he participated via the use of glove puppets and ventriloquism
. The performance also involved sections in which the audience read about the murders in pamphlets, entitled "Two Texts for a Puppet Play by David Brooks" that were distributed.
The production premiered on 5 March 2008 in Brest, France
. The play was also performed in an English-language version at the South London Gallery
as part of the Paris Calling season of performing arts, opening on 1 July 2009. Its performance included music by Peter Rehberg
.
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
by the American writer Dennis Cooper
Dennis Cooper
Dennis Cooper is an American novelist, poet, critic, editor and performance artist.-Career:Cooper grew up the son of a wealthy businessman in Arcadia, California. His first forays into literature came early, focusing on imitations of Rimbaud, Verlaine, de Sade, and Baudelaire...
, made in collaboration with director Gisèle Vienne and performer Jonathan Capdevielle, based on Cooper's 1993 novel of the same name. It is based on the story of serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Dean Corll
Dean Corll
Dean Arnold Corll was an American serial killer, also known as the "Candy Man", who, together with two youthful accomplices named David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, abducted, raped, tortured and murdered a minimum of 28 boys in a series of killings spanning from 1970 to 1973 in Houston, Texas...
and his teenage accomplices David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley
Elmer Wayne Henley
Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. is a convicted American serial killer, incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system...
. The play develops the conceit that Brooks has learnt puppetry in prison and, as part of his rehabilitation, acts out the murders in which he participated via the use of glove puppets and ventriloquism
Ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
. The performance also involved sections in which the audience read about the murders in pamphlets, entitled "Two Texts for a Puppet Play by David Brooks" that were distributed.
The production premiered on 5 March 2008 in Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. The play was also performed in an English-language version at the South London Gallery
South London Gallery
South London Gallery, founded 1891, often known by the acronym SLG, is a public-funded gallery of contemporary art in Camberwell, London - exhibiting artists included Alfredo Jaar, Ryan Gander and Chris Burden...
as part of the Paris Calling season of performing arts, opening on 1 July 2009. Its performance included music by Peter Rehberg
Peter Rehberg
Peter Rehberg is an author of electronic audio works.He has collaborated with: Jim O'Rourke, Christian Fennesz, Dennis Cooper, Gisèle Vienne, Stephen O'Malley , Tina Frank, Matmos, Tujiko Noriko, Kevin Drumm, Marcus Schmickler, Michaela Schwentner , Matt "Skitz" Sanders, Russell Haswell, Florian...
.
Sources
- Cooper, DennisDennis CooperDennis Cooper is an American novelist, poet, critic, editor and performance artist.-Career:Cooper grew up the son of a wealthy businessman in Arcadia, California. His first forays into literature came early, focusing on imitations of Rimbaud, Verlaine, de Sade, and Baudelaire...
. 1993. Jerk. San Francisco: Artspace. ISBN 0963109510. - Jerk on denniscooper.net. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- Jerk on Gisèle Vienne. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- SLG Events. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- Viegener, Matias. 1993. Review of the novel Jerk. ArtforumArtforumArtforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
22 June. Retrieved 7 April 2010.