written for
An Invitation to a Private World
New Jersey State Museum
1977

   Dek  .....Dennis Báthory-Kitsz
   Lyk  .....Richard Fredette
   Ros  .....David Gunn
   Mih  .....Pamela Ritterbusch (replacing Linda Kitsz)

Characters begin in four distant locations, standing. The first active element is a unison high vocal pitch (circa 9), which begins with Dek, and circles the group, traveling up and down in quarter-tone pitches. Resulting tones arise, and eventually the vocal nature of the sound becomes discernible. At this point, the pitches spread outward to vocal limits, female upward, male downward.

Dek playing an ocarina begins part two. The remaining vocal activity continues, quietly disappearing as the characters back out of their spaces and begin a motion called Search. During Search, when any two characters meet (excluding when they pass the ocarina player) there is a surreptitious flash of knives. The activity becomes quietly frenetic, but facial expressions remain neutral. Search continues faster, until all three characters meet, at which point Search brakes smoothly to a halt in one place on the floor. This place may or may not be in full view of the audience, but it must be in at least partial view. The three kneel, bowing towards each other in a tight circle. Knives are struck to the floor three times, and the ocarina player ceases.

Part three begins as the knives are raised and the wig hair is shorn off each player by the person to the left. The wigs fall to the floor, revealing the stockinged heads; the wigs remain in a pile upon the floor. Meanwhile, Dek moves to the opposite side of the area, out of view of the rest of the audience. Dek begins the First Reading, in French. During this the other characters remain motionless, except Mih, who backs up slowly, reaching a panel by the end of the French recitation. Mih begins the Second Reading, in German. Dek has now joined the group, hands outstretched above the others, standing. Ros backs out against the opposite panel, beginning the Third Reading, in English. Remaining bent forward on the floor, with Dek standing above, is Lyk. Blood issues forth from Lyk onto the floor, becoming visible to the audience only when it flows out from underneath.

The opposite characters, Mih and Ros, who have slipped out during the drama of the last section, quietly sing Victimae Paschali Laudes. This fades as Lyk moves forward and out, through the back area, and around the building. White noise (hiss, chiff, etc.) begins to arise rhythmically from the remaining three players. A choreographed walking-through begins, with emphasized vocal sounds occurring whenever characters pass each other. The pace increases, and one at a time the characters walk through/into the audience, shaking hands and smiling mannequinely until all are in the crowd.

Part five starts as Lyk makes an appearance at the back of the audience. The others stop, expressions frozen in smile, and back to the nearest panel. The unison pitch up/down process begins again, and the three move into a kneel as Lyk comes forward: the setting is moved counterclockwise into profile view. Lyk has been maintaining hands at the front, and now raises them above the heads of the other three. Lyk then lowers hands, the pitches being sung cease, and cheeping begins. Mih, Ros and Dek eat the hands, which are made of flesh-colored-iced red cake. Eaters become smaller in action but more frenetic, gradually self-reducing to a quivering mass of three-as-one, bending lower and lower to quiver on the floor, eventually to cease except for sporadic and random motions. Lyk leans listlessly against the panel, then moves away, expressionless. As the last three remain in place, Lyk begins to play quietly on the harmolin, humming and expressing short syllabic phrases, getting softer, morendo. The active performance is concluded.

Stoneworld/Grey Photo Album

Photos newly recovered from the archives in 2005.

The cast: Dennis Báthory-Kitsz, Pam Ritterbusch, David Gunn, Richard Fredette	Richard Fredette	In Performance: Mih and Ros
In Performance: Mih and Ros	In Performance: Ros	Makeup: Pam Ritterbusch with Ken Kaplowitz
In Performance: Mih	Backstage: Richard Fredette and David Gunn	Backstage: Richard Fredette, David Gunn Dennis Báthory-Kitsz
The Cast Backstage	Pam Ritterbusch	Makeup: Richard Fredette and Dennis Báthory-Kitsz
Backstage: Richard Fredette and David Gunn	In Performance: Ghosts I	In Performance: Ghosts II
Makeup: Richard Fredette and Pam Ritterbusch