Process

In early 1987, Kurt Fulton invited friend and past collaborator Richard Schachter to create a
new work for Watchface’s series of performances at La MaMa’s new stage, The Club. Since
Richard was currently residing with his partner in Ottawa, Canada, the making of the piece
had a unique obstacle to overcome – the creators living in different cities. They kept in
regular contact by phone and shared text ideas through the mail (in those days before
digital communication).

Kurt established the concept of the performance – how our unintentional preoccupation with
our daily routines usurps interest to confront and resolve universal concerns. Together they
created a draft of various scenes to illustrate and illuminate the idea. The concepts of the
inflated importance of daily tasks, the obsession with trends, the exaggerated significance of
work practices, along with various definitions of the word routine, were included in the first
draft.

Once Richard arrived in New York City, about ten days prior to the performance dates, they
began putting the outline that they had worked on separately on its feet. Many of the
elements were created independently and just performed simultaneously. Richard also
developed a solo section that Kurt helped to refine. However some of the sections were
more complex and required the two men working jointly to construct them.

The heart of the piece was a long series of pairs of Emblems that represented people’s
everyday banal routines and the urgent concerns that should overtake those mundane
practices. Both creators made a list of words or phrases for each viewpoint. These were
exchanged by mail and Emblems were made from the other’s list. Once they were together,
the Emblems were then taught to the originator of the phrase, closing the loop. In staging
the piece, the Emblems were modified so that when the pairs were performed the two parts
lasted the same amount of time. Examples of the contrasting pairs:

sports team fanaticism – racism
sexual conquest – population control
fashion – militarism
soap operas – religious fanatics

To illustrate one of the meanings of routine, a set piece of entertainment, the men replicated
a synchronized swimming sequence. Kurt studied a tape of a televised 1984 Olympic
competition that he had recorded several years earlier. He reviewed the movement
sequences over and over again until they were committed to memory. Alongside Richard,
Kurt translated the aquatic movement onto solid ground. Most of the movements used were
the above-water arm, torso, and head choreography. When the athletes were underwater
with their legs above the surface, the two men laid on their backs to recreate the leg
movements. At times, the point of view of the camera was from beneath the water while the
swimmers were upended, their hips and legs out of the water performing the routine. For
these moments the men stood and reproduced the underwater gestures, the inversion of
what was actually being depicted.

The commentators’ remarks were noted verbatim, with all of their emotion, unintended
humor, and non sequiturs. The analysts were Esther Williams, the former competitive
swimmer who became an MGM movie star known for her appearances in their
“aquamusicals”, and Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, Donna de Varona. The
dialogue was layered onto the movement in the exact same time relationship as on the
recording. If the commentators were describing an arm movement as it happened, the two
men were performing their version of that arm movement and reciting the comments at the
same time. Commentators’ opening text (excerpt):

Esther (Kurt):
Just imagine having the lung power, the leg strength of a water polo player, the grace
and rhythm of a ballet dancer, a gymnast performing a whole floor exercise, and then
you add to that…

Donna (Richard):
And all that to music.

Esther (Kurt):
Just imagine.

Donna (Richard):
The perfecting of strokes and figures, those are the basics.

Esther (Kurt):
Just imagine.

Donna (Richard):
The fine tuning of great athletes.

Esther (Kurt):
That’s a split she’s just done, the two of them. That’s 360 degree turns, that’s incredible
control.

Donna (Richard):
Here comes a pair figure, this is a hybrid move.

Esther (Kurt):
How beautiful, Donna. Just like some of the leading men I’ve danced with, no shoes.
(both laugh)

Donna (Richard):
Opps, they slipped right there.

Esther (Kurt):
Yes, they certainly did.

Donna (Richard):
They got together underwater to come up to that position of being connected.

Esther (Kurt):
And I enjoy seeing a few sequins and rhinestones, it makes for a very pretty sport.

The goal to faithfully mimic the often complicated sequences made for a very rigorous
rehearsal process. Constantly re-examining the tape for authenticity and timing, perfecting
the choreography, and maintaining the synchronicity were the main focus of the condensed
rehearsal period.

Other found text was also employed. Various dictionary definitions of the word routine were
used as segues between the sections. The lists of ingredients printed on the packaging of
favorite junk foods and the warnings on the outside envelopes of mailed pornographic
materials were used to imply how easily things like food and sex can distract one from
greater concerns and how much easier the distraction is to inhabit. The text to Richard’s solo
was taken from the instructions for a registered nurse caring for a patient from admission
through death. Because of the relatively short time the men had together to mount the
performance, some of the more involved and time-consuming Watchface techniques, like
Frankensteins, Bodies in Space and Abstractions, were not used in the construction of this
piece.

The costumes were casual work-out clothing, sweat pants, and T-shirts with sports logos. The
only props were a clothesline and a basket of laundry.