I saw Laurie Anderson's new piece at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last night. The stage was dark and simple, only a chair off to the side, a control stand downstage, a stand upstage center for her souped-up viola. The floor was lit with randomly placed candles, white, in low glass jars.
It's funny following someone's work. Even though I hadn't seen this piece before, I know what she's working on - I recognize the turns of phrase and can even predict them. I can see why fans start to think that they have relationships with the objects of their adoration. "How can I know him so well without him knowing me?"
The show made me cry, mostly the clear eyed gaze on the militarization of the world and this country. Her description of her fear that one day there will be a military base on the moon, barely visible even by telescope "but you'll still know it's there," gave me chills.
What should you do when you're aware that something precious is being lost, but you don't know how to fight for it?
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