O. R. Melling

Performative Art

TO HELL AND BACK AGAIN ON TWITTER: Dante’s Inferno

November 2018 – ongoing 

Pinned Tweet thread on Twitter

Autodidactic, word-parsing translation of Dante’s Inferno from Italian to English with devil-may-care commentary posted erratically on Twitter week by week. 

“Is this the longest on Twitter?” (Tweeter)

The Trance Mission Diaries

2018

Live performance of metaphysical science fiction piece, cosmic myth, “life, the universe and everything”. Reader/Dreamer O. R. Melling, electronic sound artist Cha Krka, vocalist Sylvia Teva. Venues: Klinkerdin Experimental Arts Salon (Bray, Co. Wicklow), Free Fringe Festival (Co. Leitrim), Heritage Week at Luisne Well-Being Centre (Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow), Culture Night at Signal Arts (Bray, Co. Wicklow), Octocon The National Irish Science Fiction Convention 2018 (Dublin) 

A ruined lightship, a lost crew, a forgotten mission. 

“I felt I was in a trance,” (audience member, Free Fringe Festival)

“It was an adventure,”  (audience member, Klinkerdin Experimental Arts Salon)

In Daily Accord 

Burren College of Art, Co. Clare, Ireland

[month tbc] 2009 

Multimedia performance of poet Frank Golden’s collection of daily-written miniature poems accompanied by music and projected images drawn by the poet. Readers: Frank Golden, O.R. Melling, John Doorty. 

 [2 images to come – performers & cover art of poetry collection]

The Life of Merlin 

Adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Vita Merlini interpreted by John and Caitlin Matthews 

Main Stage, Mythic Journeys Conference, Atlanta, USA

June, 2006 

Narrators: John and Caitlin Matthews. Performers: Ari Berk, William Todd Jones (Merlin), O.R. Melling (Gwendolina, wife of Merlin), Toby Froud. 

(Photo credit: Beth Gwinn, official conference photographer)

Anything Can Happen: In memory of Joseph Beuys

Michael Casey’s multimedia performance piece 

Ballyvaughan Poetry Festival 

[venue tbc]

[month tbc], 1991

Performers: Michael Casey & Alicia Smyth improv acting with props onstage, O.R. Melling improv reader of multiple texts side stage at stationary microphone), Frank Golden wandering around & through audience with portable microphone, repeating a few lines, all occurring simultaneously. 

“It was like when life keeps comin’ at ye from all sides and you don’t what the f**k is going on!” (festival audience member)