A wild ride

Well Springs and Other Serpent Tales is multi-media fun

by Bill Rodriguez

Billed as a multi-media event and "a surrealist adventure through the many realms of the serpent," Well Springs and Other Serpent Tales is the latest offering at the Pork Chop Lounge. It's an interesting little excursion.

The Lounge is an outgrowth of AS220's tradition and commitment to provide a non-juried art space for artists of all kinds. The idea is that minimizing competitive and commercial pressure will encourage both budding and full-bloomed artists to experiment and brave their riskiest work, since failures will be among friends. The Pork Chop Lounge has been at it for three years, directed by Lizzie Araujo, providing a stage like the rest of AS220 provides wall space. The opportunity sometimes comes up with pleasant surprises, such as an energetic bare-bones staging of David Mamet's American Buffalo back when the film version was being shot up in Pawtucket. Of course, since these are more like informal amateur workshops than polished productions, there are going to be more misses than hits, but that sets off the choice moments all the better.

In the current presentation, much comes at us that hits the intended targets. An hour before each main performance, assorted other entertainment begins, and a high point for me opening night was a couple of songs by Joe Auger. He joked that he was doing karaoke -- to a recorded instrumental track he also performed -- but his haunting vocals got me looking forward to his upcoming CD.

The serpent theme gets plenty of variations surrounding the core piece by Mark Carter, the mini-play Well Springs. A short video by Geidrus Sruogis has a lot of people talking about their experiences with snakes. Somebody tells of going skinny dipping when a slithering form raced across the water at him. Somebody else describes putting his foot into an old boot out in a field and watching a snake wrap around his four-year-old leg. John Cicco and Joe Mecca do a funny vocal collage, reciting poetry and verse on top of each other's voice, from Shakespeare to the Garden of Eden tale in Genesis. Against a video recording of the same, Mark Carter recites Lewis Carroll's comic poem "Jabberwocky," the comical description of a fantasy creature spookier than snakes.

Well Springs, directed and choreographed by Julie Hawkins, deals with the font of fears as well as the inner source of imagination and hope. Carter slithers through the opening portion, hissing with menace, as Lori Laliberte and Julie McGetrick dance enticingly. In a second section, they all are specific characters with similar traits. Alan (Carter) is a snake of a guy, drunk and abusive to Judith (Laliberte). Her friend Kimberly (McGetrick) sympathizes but may not be much better for her, as far as venomous personalities go. There is plenty of metaphorical talk about "meeting your personal dragon" and instructions to "diminish earthly desires" and "concentrate on the well springs" of creative life. Both Jean Genet and William Blake would find a lot to argue about here.

In its café/art-gallery setting, Pork Chop Lounge offers more than whatever it's billing. Although the exhibit has just come down, the opening night audience was surrounded by some striking in-your-face portraits in bold primary colors, by Steven Aguiar. You're likely to encounter a similarly pleasant surprise. And for those of you who can't live on art alone, there's even food, beer and wine.

Well Springs and Other Serpent Tales is at the Pork Chop Lounge through April 27.