katabasis

*in development*​

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Kevin Doyle -- writer, performer, film/audio design, and editor.

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"katabasis" will be a new interdisciplinary work for solo performance created and performed by someone who is not qualified to deliver one. The structure resembles a “monologist” setting fused with a functional video and sound delivery system to channel elements of pre-recorded film and interview content. It explores the relationship artistic director, Kevin Doyle, has with his late father, John Doyle, as he attempts to imagine what his father was thinking during the last months of his life; when he was rendered unable to speak or write due to a recurring brain tumor. When his own memory and speculation ultimately proves inadequate during the performance, Doyle seeks answers by referencing popular films involving fathers and sons.

 

One meaning of the word “katabasis” is the epic convention of the hero’s descent into the underworld, usually to bring back a loved one to the world of the living. However, “katabasis” can also refer to an unrelenting journey through other areas of dystopia.

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"katabasis" has received support from the Edward F. Albee Foundation and the William Flanagan Memorial Creative Persons Center in Montauk, NY; the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Saratoga, WY; a residency in Performance & Media at The Corporation of Yaddo; and full bursary and residency support from Wooda Farm in Cornwall (U.K.). Early work-in-progress showings have been presented at The Living Theatre in Manhattan and Williamsburg AiR in Brooklyn.