FLAM CHEN visits Arcosanti for a 3 week period of practice and work on a short art film. FLAM CHEN is a pyrotechnic theater troupe based in Tucson, Arizona. A decade in the making, Flam Chen has amassed a repertoire of extreme theatre, new circus tactics, martial arts weaponry, all set in a medium of fire. Flam Chen creates unique panoramas of spectacle and narrative— Performers spin balinese fire chains, combat with fire staffs and flaming swords, dance with fire fingers and fire fans, eat and breathe flames, and light costume pieces, sculptures and very often the set itself ablaze during the course of the evening.
This is an evening scene on the roof of the Sky Theater, turned into the Queens Court, for the art-film in production A FISHERMAN'S WISH. Technical director Paul Weir: Flam Chen is now filming our adaptation of "The Fisherman's Wife's Wish". Our version, "The Fisher's Wish" is an exploration of the divine presence in all things more so then the traditional story, which remarked more on the greed of the wife. We chose to update the story for a modern time and added the element of performance art, circus, pantomime, and a general cineographic sensibility that should be refreshing and interesting to modern film viewers.[Photo: Adam Cooper & text: sa]
At a Flam Chen show, you may be invited to witness a "Toybox" come to life with 10-foot dolls, battling toy-soldiers and manic puppet-makers. "Rites ov Spring" merges images inspired by bug life in Microcosmos and the bacchanal of Fellini's Satyricon, all mingled with the choreographic influence of Martha Graham.
At dusk, the roof of the Ceramics Apse, becomes the Empresses Court.[Photo: Adam Cooper & text: sa]
Flam Chen propels itself above the audience on flying trapeze, ziplines, rappels and bungee, creating dazzling characters that hover, zoom or drop out of the sky. The audience is wrapped in visions ranging from futuristic and cyborg, commedia del arte and vaudevillian, to fantasy and fairy tale-esque. The troupe has, over the years, become a production company that fabricates costumes, props, machines, rigging, lighting, and sound— all in house. Technical Director Paul Weir: We have been fortunate to have a strong connection with the community at Arcosanti to be able to utilize the phenomenal locations and of course use of the famous Arcosanti Crane.
In the very early morning hours the sky cooperated magnificently for this shoot of mermaids suspended from the Arcosanti crane.[Photos: Adam Cooper & text: sa]
The Vaults are a perfect area for practice. Paul Weir graciously teaches stilt walking to Arcosanti children and residents. This has been an amazing and exciting visit, especially for the children.
FLAM CHEN has performed at large raves, such as ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL in Hollywood, CA and NOCTURNAL WONDERLAND in Indio, CA; at arts festivals such as NYC FRINGE in New York, PA FRINGE in Philadelphia, TSUNAMI ARTS FESTIVAL in Prescott, Az, International Arts Festival of MACAU, China, GLITTER AND GLOW festival in Glendale, AZ; at numerous clubs and site-specific installations across the nation and overseas. FLAM CHEN has earned awards such as Tucson Weekly's Best Performing Artist Award for the past three years, and a NY FRINGE Excellence Award for "Rites Ov Spring." The troupe also has been raved about in The New York Post, New York Times, Philadelphia Tribune, and Details, among other publications.[Photos & text: sa]