Russell RockwellAfter the success of last year’s immersive extravaganza Celesthesia, I knew it was only a matter of time until Joshua Loner (LONER) figured out a way to up the ante of the cosmic murder-mystery variety show. The upcoming Celesthesia 1.5 hopes to do exactly that, adding to the spectacle that made the first event so fascinating, while focusing more on the intangible aspects of the experience.
In an effort to expand the ambience while also streamlining the process, Loner teamed up with Willow Goldstein of the DIY art space and venue the Bakery, and tapped the expertise of Vii Kelly. As the special effects wiz behind ViiFX, Kelly has worked on a variety of projects, from movies to music videos, with a focus on the same fantastical interpretation of sci-fi history that makes Celesthesia so exciting. Recently, I reached out to Loner and Goldstein to get a better idea of what to expect from Celesthesia 1.5, why the Bakery is a good fit for the show, and why trash is the key to set design.
Why is it Celesthesia 1.5 as opposed to 2?
Joshua Loner: Willow and I had been talking a lot about doing another Celesthesia-like event but felt like we needed to do a show where we started experimenting with some practical effects before we tackled the sequel I have written. We were going to call it “Lightspeed” until we realized this was definitely just another Celesthesia. We decided, with the limited time we had, [that] we should focus less on creating a linear narrative than on the creation of an environment that seems to be alive. Willow called in Vii Kelly of ViiFx. She has a really impressive resume doing set design and practical effects for film, and has been flexing her network to help us build a rainforest out of trash puppets. So, it’s not the sequel just yet, because the sequel has a very elaborate plotline with grandiose special effects. It’s version 1.5—a system update as opposed to a new operating system. Keep an eye out for version 1.98…
Why are you excited about Celesthesia 1.5?
Willow Goldstein
Willow Goldstein: I thought Celesthesia was really magical when I saw it (I was already enamored with LONER after seeing them earlier that year for the first time at a Sweet Tea event at Eyedrum), and I was thrilled to see this type of event happening at a DIY level in Atlanta. There were a lot of immersive, multimedia events happening back in NYC but I wasn’t sure where, or if, that was happening in Atlanta. I didn’t know many people in the art/music scene yet, but luckily for me, LONER practiced at Eyedrum, so I started mentioning that I wanted to create something like Celesthesia at the warehouse I had just leased. Since opening the Bakery back in October, we’ve produced and hosted a handful of multimedia events (the most recent one being Erec-Ki-Gala by Peter Flamming, who I actually happened to meet that night outside of Mammal at Celesthesia). We are super lucky to be joined with Vii Kelly, and it’s really cool to be creating this kind of event with a solid team less than a year into our existence! I’m also really excited to dress up, obviously.
Will Celesthesia 1.5 tell a different story, or continue the story from 1?
JL: Well, to fill readers in on the story of the last episode: During the Intergalactic Gala, an art and fashion event on the planet Celesthesia, renowned art collector and auctioneer Bleedo Bleedo was murdered, and his prized possession, the Omnipax, stolen. Special Agent Dotte Comm and her sidekick, Wilbur the Cop, took on the case, discovering that the Omnipax seemed to have a connection to another world. The play ended on a cliffhanger, with the cloaked killer having escaped after a laser duel with Dotte.
The 1.5 event will move away from the script, leaning more on an improvisational approach, with more focus on practical effects and puppetry, but will still feature familiar characters from the first installment. Think of it as a new episode in the same universe, a side story or spinoff meant to expand the universe that the main plot arc takes place in. Still experimenting with this whole philosophy of “growing” art as opposed to building it, allowing the fictional world to develop its own history over time, to be populated by various different stories and perspectives rather than just one.
Why is the Bakery such a good fit for Celesthesia?
JL: I didn’t choose the Bakery, the Bakery chose me. Willow and I have been talking about doing this event since the first episode premiered in July of last year. We played the Bakery’s opening and New Year’s shows, as well as the Erec-Ki-Gala, which all involved some kind of build-out, and we saw the potential of the space. The space is huge, which allowed me to begin to conceptualize something of a grander scale than last time, where everything took place in the same room. This time we will have three separate spaces, all fitted with installations: a desert scene, a rainforest, and a magical cave. Plus a few surprises, of course.
WG: I had only just signed the lease on the warehouse to-be-named the Bakery when I saw Celesthesia, but already I knew that the space and the ethos of the event would be a match. The warehouse is basically a labyrinth of rooms that can be transformed into immersive theatre-scapes and we’ve designed it—(and) the layout has morphed into existence—with flexibility in mind. We are more than just a venue as well, so a bunch of artists will be working here over the next three weeks to build the puppets, set, and props. Almost all of the bands on the bill have played here at least once, and so it’s easy to work together to pull this off.
What are the specifics of the new lighting setup at the Bakery, and why this an important development for the venue?
WG: The Bakery has all been built on a series of gifts—people’s time, talent, and generosity. Maggie Kane brought in her friend Parks Miller to design a lighting plan with William Kennedy. They designed an LED ceiling that is iPad controlled (not too dissimilar to the one Joel Coady installed for our second immersive event, SILO, a collaboration with Catalyst Arts Atlanta), and it looks so good! We’re really excited about offering a more established/traditional/refined venue to the DIY scene. It will also just be awesome to have actual lighting so we’re not running around with 10 foot ladders and clip lights all the time.
Did you learn anything for the first Celesthesia that you’re trying to implement in version 1.5?
JL: ~*~*SHooT 4 the MooN and If U Mi$$ U Will LanD AMoNG the StArS*~*~
Enthusiasm and a good supply of trash can go a long way. Last time, we used a ton of cellophane and Mylar, and this time we will, too. Last time, we put out a call for people to come dressed as aliens and a ton of people actually did. This time we’re upping the ante with an ALIEN COSTUME CONTEST! Last time, I found that the process of delegation was super important, that if you can find people who have specialized skills and get them psyched on the idea, they will exceed your expectations and totally expand your vision of what a project can be. We have a larger team than last time, and a lot of very talented, dedicated artists working behind the scenes to pull this off. I think it’s going to be unlike anything Atlanta has seen yet.
###
UPDATE: Since I last spoke to Goldstein and Loner, preparations for Celesthesia 1.5: Lightspeed! have reached a fever pitch, mostly thanks to Vii Kelly’s connections and generous community contributions. Kelly brought a slew of volunteers on board, who have aided in art and set design. Paul Leroy, Mark Gilbert, Lo Pararo, Kezley Smit, Io Kurvival, Gracie Joo, Paege Turner, Alexa Zoe, Rob Scott, Benjamin Baxter, and Kamilla Bridges and her “aliem children” have all volunteered their time and expertise, but the Atlanta community as a whole has also been very supportive. Thanks to Kelly, 7 Stages Theatre and Silver Scream FX Lab have donated raw materials which will go through Loner’s cosmic blender before emerging as part of the Celesthesia universe. We recently acquired some sneak peeks of the working being done already, check out the gallery below.
Celesthesia 1.5: Lightspeed! will take place on Sat., June 9 at the Bakery and will feature music by LONER, Visitors, Partials, African Space Program, MonteQarlo, Jamee Cornelia, Ben Absent, Rupert Angeleyes & Joey Joey Michaels, as well as a late-night dance party with JSPORT. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for aliens and $15 for those in human costume. 18+ to enter.