I am a man who is going to fall is a single act performance, that was only performed three times. The first presentation was during a performance arts class taught by Pat Oleszko at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1997.
Immediately after the first performance, it was determined that a classroom setting was too safe of a space and that the piece should be performed in a public setting where there was no established trust. So the second presentation was held during the same day but in the school cafeteria during peak traffic.
The third and final presentation was a recreation done soley for documenting photographically for slide submissions and future applications.
MAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lance Foley
Act One
The performance requires a single prop of a chair or any object where the protagonist can stand up high and call the attention of strangers to gather around and listen to what is about to be told.
Once the protagonist has been able to acquire a significant group to gather around, the peformance can commence.
MAN: I am a man who is going to fall. Will you catch me?
Protagonist falls and is hopefully caught by the gathered group. Caught or not, brushes self off. Stands back upon the chair but is no longer wearing shoes or socks.
MAN: I am a man who is going to fall. Will you catch me?
Again the MAN falls and is hopefully caught by the gathered group. Caught or not, protagonist must stand back upon the chair. More vulnerable then the previous fall, the protagonist stands on the chair. Now no longer wearing a shirt.
MAN: I am a man who is going to fall. Will you catch me?
Protagonist falls and is hopefully caught by the gathered group before hitting the ground. Caught or not, protagonist will return to standing upon the chair. MAN stands back upon the chair but is now without pants. Standing upon the chair in only undergarments.
MAN: I am a man who is going to fall. Will you catch me?
Protagonist falls and is hopefully caught by the gathered group before crashing to the ground in such a vulnerable state. Caught or not, the protagonist must return to standing back upon the chair. Protagonist returns to standing upon the chair but has now lost everything, including undergarments.
MAN: I am a man who is going to fall. Will you catch me?
Protagonist falls and is hopefully caught by any remaining members from the gathered group before hitting the ground.
THE END
