Chelsea M. Warren
She Took to the Sea
Amongst the uncertainty at the start of Covid-Times, one story stood out to me as an example of hope amongst the flood of bizarre and tragic news. A podcast put out by the folks at 99% Invisible entitled “The Natural Experiment,” in which they interview Acoustic Ecologist Michelle Fournet, who studies marine communication and the impact of human activity on oceanic ecosystems. Fournet related that the pandemic had provided a remarkable opportunity; it created a monumental silencing of human activity in our oceans. For the first time in decades, the acoustic scientists of the world are listening to undisturbed marine life behavior, and for Fournet, hump back whales in Alaska where there is normally consistent cruise boat activity. Moreover, through constraints on human activity, potentially the natural world will rebound.
There is a connection between this story and a puppet show I originally performed at Open Eye Figure Theatre. In “She Took To The Sea”, Aguanaut Harriet recounts the oceanic journeys of her youth from the comfort of her bathtub of salt water and bubbles. Her first journey tells the story of discovery when her beloved Oceaviator, a loud and poorly designed underwater transport, breaks down. It sinks to the bottom of the sea, leaving her floating alone in the ocean. In that moment of failure and isolation, Harriet hears the sounds of the sea for the first time.
Inspired by Michelle Fournet the Acoustic Ecologist and Harriet the Aguanaut, my hope is that when we finally transition out of the pandemic, that we take with us the opportunities that this slow down provided.
Collaborators:
Sound Artist, Brett Masteller
Playwright, Ann Boyd
Puppet Artisan and Performer, Josephine Everett
Audience Tip:
Experience the Sound of the Sea by listening to the sound track below while viewing the film.
Sound file available through QR code. Use the count down at top of film to sync audio playback. Film duration, 6 minutes.
More inspiration:
Inspiration: I would like to include some links about the Acoustic Ecologist whose work during Covid Times inspired by installation.
Link to blog that inspired the piece:
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-natural-experiment/
First 3 minutes of 99% Invisible Podcast, Episode 401: The Natural Experiment, featuring an interview with Acousttic Ecologist Michelle Fournet
Link to article by National Geographic in which Michelle Fournet is interviewed on this topic:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/seas-silenced-by-pandemic-could-improve-health-whales/#close
Acoustic Ecologic Michelle Fournet’s Sound Science Research Collective Website:
https://soundsciencecollective.org/2020/07/21/global-change-covid-19-and-the-quiet-ocean/
To listen to whale sounds Michelle Fournet has recorded:
https://soundsciencecollective.org/sounds/
About chelsea
Chelsea M. Warren is a theatre artist with a focus on scenic design, puppetry, and devised theatre, newly based in the Twin Cities. Previous work at the Jungle includes scenic design for Ride the Cyclone, The Wickhams, Little Women, The Children and scenic/puppet design for Stinkers and Hand to God. She has designed at theatres including Penumbra Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Writers Theatre, Studio Theatre, Cleveland Play House, WaterTower Theatre, Geva Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, and Steep Theatre, where she is an Artistic Associate. She was the recipient of a Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award. Ms. Warren received her MFA from Northwestern University and is an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Minnesota. chelseamwarren.com
Artistic Response from H. Adam Harris
Exploring the many ways collaborations occur and listening to the vital voices of our artists, the Jungle's SHINE A LIGHT event is pairing participating designers with area artists to create thoughtful responses to the installations. These audio commentaries will be available online throughout the event and add depth for the viewer's experience to help spark expansive conversation.
Supporting Materials:
The book I reference and read from is Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane. The cover is very fitting for Chelsea's project:
http://www.youngwizards.com/deep-wizardry/
Link to N.K Jemisin's Website and Bio:
http://nkjemisin.com/about/
Link to N.K Jemisin's Hugo Award Acceptance Speech for her 3rd Consecutive Speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFybhRxoVM
I quote from this speech. A beautiful read for even non-fantasy readers.
About H. Adam:
H. Adam Harris is an actor, director, teaching artist, and cultural equity consultant, working at the intersection of theatre, education, social justice, and community engagement.