Kismet Arts Tangent

Program copy:

Sound and music contributions by Andrew Rose and Kevin Corcoran and Bill Wolter

Score design and composition by Bill Wolter

Direction by Fenner Merlick

Losing so much of my drenched self on the shore,  

creating clods and cracks by the water’s prune-ish
glistening surface,  

wrinkled with wind and sparkled sun.  

About places where you go
repeatedly like a ghost:  

boats, buoys, barges, bridges,  

the infrastructure of waterways.  

To want to have this constant motion,  

is a yawn wet or dry?  

The tide washes away all the signs

 of our shoreline antics.  

My mind spilled out into the water,  

spread wetness between us until it can release itself by evaporation.  

Observing from an unreasonable distance,  

they cup their palms to hold

 the few remaining drops,  

fabric clings to a damp body.

Kismet Arts Tangent presents

Wetside of the Lake

May 9-11, 2024

Thu – Fri May 9-10, 7:30 PM; Sat May 11, 3:00 PM

60 mins without intermission

Studio 210, 3435 Cesar Chavez Blvd, SF, CA, 

About Kismet Arts Tangent:

Kismet Arts Tangent, formerly known as Andomifevin, emerged after the success of “Potato Topos” at the SF Fringe Festival in 2022. Established in 2017, the ensemble comprises diverse co-artists committed to creating experimental performance art. They focus on trust, autonomy, and openness in their collaborative processes. The group continuously pushes artistic boundaries, offering transformative experiences to audiences. Follow the tangent on Instagram @kismetartstangent

photo by Robbie Sweeny

photo by Richie Rhombus 

Katarina Countiss: asylum rules: gentleness, generosity– when the time comes, increase excitement, decrease inhibition. Trust. 
all of this is normal. You’re normal. 

Fenner Merlick: An excellent opinionator, good at pretending, and handy with a bucket. They will throw themselves in the sea repeatedly if the moment calls for it. Sometimes responsible, often responsive.

Dominique Nigro: Infinitely inspired by both the mundane and fantastical, their art aims to explore the merging paradigms of these worlds by delving into highly emotional feeling states, improvisation, and technical movement forms. She will gladly catch and release any spiders you find in your home. 

Andrew Rose: Rose is a performer and poet with a developed movement practice. He studies and gives humanities lectures at San Francisco State University, and is currently researching peace. Recent film performances can be seen in the special features section of unsold DVDs, and at unlisted links.

Annikah Peabody: Annikah is a budding multidisciplinary artist based in Oakland. She creates immersive art experiences at the crossroads of performance and visual art. Known for her performances and collaborations on diverse platforms, Annikah produces shows, explores various artistic mediums and endeavors to add her unique touch to the Bay Area arts scene.

David Jones: Some guy. Inspired by the movie Electric Dragon 80,000v, he once took up a career as a pet detective. Two cats were successfully found and returned to their homes thanks to this.

From the edges, still burbling bask, 

squatting on the side of the lake 

sucked into minutia when the air gets too slippery,

I breathe out of my skin.

Wetness as a blessing wetness as a curse, 

heightened reality Cantina, 

the wet side is where there is no fear of moisture. 

Drenched in the stench of sticky sun, 

soft throttle, cozy, and crispy. 

I didn’t know 

absurd elixir 

an itchy feeling, parched 

Deeply rest, you will never leave.

On the shores of the lake, a tale unfolds of a team of artists supported by their peers, collaborating to bring forth a creation under the looming deadline of a show. Yet, their intention extends beyond mere performance; they dream of perpetuating their ideas. In November, they began to envision their next project, one involving psychops and sound installations. They settled on a concept nestled within a local sex dungeon, envisioning walls draped in black plastic and adorned with numerous speakers to birth an installation of interactive performance art.

However, when the opportunity arose at Studio 210, not all were enthusiastic, deterred by the perceived constraints of a conventional theater space. Yet, the allure of working together persisted. In February, they reconvened, delving deeper into the development of their show. Challenges arose in maintaining cohesion throughout, with some unable to join the initial stages of development, and the director’s commitments to another production preventing their full participation. Despite the luxurious timeframe, the script remained fluid, with minimal time between its conception and the weeks leading up to the show.

The success of their structure, presented to audiences at the San Francisco International Arts Festival, lay in its expansiveness and variety. Deliberately avoiding characterization, they embraced an element of mystery, enhancing the audience’s experience. Gratitude is extended to Kevin Corcoran,, Andrew Rose, and Bill Wolter for their contributions to the soundtrack, with a special acknowledgment to Bill Wolter for crafting the master track, alleviating technical concerns.

Their previous production, “Potato Topos,” boasted a complex technical setup, but they found reassurance in Raphael, who swiftly adapted to manage sound, projection, and lighting. Thanks are also extended to Joshua for his invaluable assistance.

Yet, what truly sets this show apart is the connections forged and the camaraderie nurtured along the way. Grounded in presenting something idiosyncratic yet palpably authentic, they offered a performance characterized by diverse interactions and a profound sense of presence.

How to understand Wetside as a Process for Collaborators– Devised Theatre Process as Art Experience– Community Impact of Ensemble

We had two retreats. Clipper Cove pictured left and a private residence in Napa (right). We structured our time to be for bonding, development, restorative, etc. We had writing, movement, media, and marketing activities. Sharing time and place with these bodies of water helped us understand more about the dynamics of wetness and dryness. These longer sessions allowed us to focus and increase our awareness of our inspiration.

I would charge my future self with reflective questions about how to get this funded by grants, how to expand this to members of our audience, how to assess success by our own standards.