Kurt Hentschlager's RSV ZEE
As you can see from my "interesting show" entries on this blog, I'm a big fan, supporter, and creator of "Hallucinatory and Immersive Environments of Sound and Light". So, when I saw exactly that offered in a full page ad in Time Out, I immediately put on my todo list to check out "Zee" at the 3LD Art & Technology Center in lower Manhattan (I'm intentionally NOT linking to them for reasons you will see shortly).
The advertisement in Time Out and the web site clearly state that the show is scheduled October 28- November 15, Wednesday to Friday 5-9pm. So, I convinced a friend to go with me, and rushed over there this evening after working all afternoon on the strike of the Gravesend Inn. I arrived at 6:30 a few minutes ahead of my friend, and was greeted with nothing in the lobby and someone asking why I was there. I said I was there to see the show, and I thought maybe I had the night wrong. The oblivious person said that things had changed, and that some unreadable 9-point text on the website showed that it was now either by invitation or by RSVP, or, well something. I was just totally confused and asked what I needed to do to see the show and I was not able to get an answer. It turns out that the web site now reads:
Kurt Hentschläger's ZEE is now previewing BY INVITATION ONLY for individual visits by the press, curators, and professionals in the art and performance community. Due to limited capacity, entrance is by confirmed RSVP only -please contact rsvp@XXXX.org and include your phone number.
What the hell??? I don't think that in 20 years in NYC, going to or working on literally thousands of shows, I have ever seen a more inept and ham-handed approach to PAYING audience members.
So, while 99% of the time, I keep this blog positive (and I am generally a positive person), screw this show. Either they are so inept that they can't handle paying audience members A FULL WEEK after a published and advertised opening night, or they are incredibly elitist. So, either way, I've got better things to do--like go have a nice Indian dinner, which is what we did.