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)