This is the pilot, the initial development of this project. It begins with students at UC Davis in March 2022 as the performers. Moving forward into 2023/24, the project will grow as an inkBoat work with San Francisco communities.
Clouds from a Crumbling Giant follows the birth and death of a species, an empire, a universe, a thought. Time unfolds on stage like a revolving wheel represented by an automated turntable. Vibrations — sounds created by the cast and musicians — emerge to shape the earth, rocks and people. Clouds from a Crumbling Giant teems with movement, spoken text, song and sound.
“The materials begin the process,” said Director Shinichi Iova-Koga. “The place, the people, the machinery, the zeitgeist. The environment offers clues for how a stage work will unfold. Our research touches on creation theories, political structures and concepts of time. The most fundamental part of the work is the exchange with the student performers, musicians and artists to synthesize an experience that converses with this moment, this place and each audience.”
