THE GHOST OF P. T. BARNUM SPEAKS
2020 films written and performed by Ara Fitzgerald and directed by Peter Cunningham.
When PT Barnum bragged about being the most famous person in the world, he probably offended Mark Twain, Queen Victoria, and Abraham Lincoln. He died in 1891. A hundred years later his ghost visited Ara Fitzgerald and has haunted her for the last 25 years. Now in quarantined isolation she thought she was free of his visitations, but then this happened…..
The Ghost of P.T. Barnum in "" THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS OF THE PRESENT TENSE" (Episode 2: Rules of the Circus)
Zoom performance for Solo Arts Heal at the Marsh Theatre San Francisco, Ca. March 16 2022.
" THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS OF THE PRESENT TENSE"
"TEACHING JOE BIDEN" "INDIVISIBLE" has requested 90 second homemade quarantine films..... P.T. comes back to help his country as an essential worker. Lincoln, Massachusetts Patriots Day April 19, 2020
"ERECT PEACE" THE GHOST OF P.T.BARNUM talks dirty. (episode #4) THE GHOST OF P.T.BARNUM escapes Heaven (a no smoking zone) to enjoy a cigar and rail about guiding principles in the showbusiness of politics. ‘Trust, not fear— that is the art of the true showman.”
2020 Short films based on excerpts from the 2017 stage piece, Watch The Bullies Dance.
“TRUST NOT FEAR” THE GHOST OF P.T.BARNUM on the ethics of show business and politics.(episode #3)
“THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH” THE GHOST OF P.T.BARNUM sells tickets to his American circus (episode #1)
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND SLAPPING
The Sound of One Hand Slapping is an excerpt from Watch The Bullies Dance in which the ghost of P.T. Barnum, upset that heaven is a no smoking zone, returns and laments the loss of ethics in the show business of politics. "Trust, not fear is the true art of the showman. Who knew that common sense could be so complicated?" Not to mention: Civil Rights, Black Lives, Indigenous Tribes, Corporate Slavery, Campaign Finance, Puerto Rico, Pharmaceuticals, Pre-existing Conditions, Plastics, Pardons, Paper Towels, Guns, Police Brutality, Mob Mentality, Ferguson, Flint, Charlottesville, Good Cops, Double Standards, The ERA, The Dreamers, Turtle Island, Mauna Kea. We The People hold these truths...
"WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS" THE GHOST OF P.T.Barnum pontificates on self-evident TRUTH. (episode #2)
WATCH THE BULLIES DANCE
Watch The Bullies Dance stars circus impresario P.T. Barnum, who is angry that he has been compared to fellow showman Donald Trump. They both love to sell tickets but P.T. has principles.
“THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH”
“THE FOXY EMPEROR OF HUMBUG”
“AN HONEST MAN”
“THE END”
In a reverse of her usual process, Ara created the material in winter 2017 as a series of short films with Peter Cunningham whose grandmother was famous for handing out condoms for Planned Parenthood in Harvard Square. The pieces were linked and performed on stage for The Resistance Cabaret at Improv/ Boston in May, Norte Maar’s Brooklyn Performance Combine in June, The American Dance Guild Festival in September and The 2018 APAP Conference in NYC.
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