Joy is in the Water

A message from Executive Director Jenny Stadler

I’m so excited to share this update about PHAME’s 2023 summer project—a staged concert tribute to Talking Heads’ 1984 film, Stop Making Sense. I can’t think about this project without getting a small thrill. For me and my friends in the 1980s, Talking Heads were the background music to our lives. Their compelling, weird, rhythmic and unexpected musical themes wove their way into our hearts and brains, and we danced to them while we graduated from high school and then college, got our first jobs, made our first adult friends; in some ways this music was our soundtrack for growing up and for figuring out who we were going to be. This music permeated our lives in large part because of the undercurrent of pure joy that runs through it. When you watch the film Stop Making Sense, you see and feel that joy: the joy of movement and expression and being exactly who you are.

Joy is in the water here at PHAME, and in part that’s why Jason Rouse, Jessica Dart and I thought this project would be a perfect fit for PHAME. The process of making art—and building community—is interwoven with joy, and it’s this joy that breeds true self-expression. Talking Heads—and frontman David Byrne—weren’t afraid to use art to express themselves freely, and that fearlessness is something we encourage our students to practice every day at PHAME. Like a strong percussion section, our classes, workshops, and community gatherings provide an underlying structure, while leaving space for students to riff, to explore and try new things, and to get out of the box and play.

For this project, we are encouraging the cast to become very familiar with the music of Talking Heads, but to let their own interpretations of the music guide their performances. Our choreographer, PHAME student JJ, is creating dance moves based on what he hears in the music and how it makes him feel. Our Video Production Lab students are telling brand new stories through video. And our amazing vocalists and iPad musicians are bringing their own unique spin to beloved songs like “Take Me to the River,” “Burning Down the House,” and “This Must Be the Place.”

Below you’ll find brief video interviews with three of our cast members, as well as a sneak peek of our dancers rehearsing. You’ll also find information about two other upcoming community events: Get PHAMEous on June 7 (our first open house since 2019!) and our now-annual Disability Pride Celebration on July 15. I hope you’ll join us for one or both! In the meantime, I encourage you to revisit Talking Heads (or discover the band for the first time). Let your mind explore the music and feel the joy. It’s palpable.

Warmly,
Jenny

Stop Making Sense is on stage at Revolution Hall August 26 and 27. Find more information and tickets here.