1-3 AM

A Multimedia Exploration

1-3 am, A Multimedia Exploration

  1. Prologue:
    Adrift, by John Horzen (b. 1997)

  2. Memento Mori or, “a reminder of mortality”
    A Forward Tumble, by John Horzen (b. 1997)
    Speed of Creativity, by John Horzen (b. 1997)
    Performed by John Horzen and Shef Das

  3. Sympatheia or “everything is connected”

  4. Premeditatio malorum or “bury not your head into that good good sand”
    For What It’s Worth, by Stephen Stills (b. 1945) arr. John Horzen

  5. Meditatio

    First and Last Waltz, by Sean Watkins, Sara Watkins, Chris Thile

  6. The Obstacle is the Way

    The Mountain Song by Joseph Larson, arr. John Horzen

1 21-DSC04206.jpg
2.5 107-DSC04412.jpg
2 17-DSC04200.jpg
5 78-DSC04330.jpg
7 111-DSC04420.jpg
5-DSC04171.jpg
6 88-DSC04351.jpg
8 121-DSC04442.jpg
9 132-DSC04482.jpg

Written and Directed by: John Horzen
Producer: Joy Chen
Stage Manager: Chloe Liu
Lighting Designer: Celia Chen
Interactions Designer: Christian Killada
Technical Director: Cathy Ho
Scenic Paint Charge: Kim Zhou
Scenic, Sound, Costume, and Projection design by: John Horzen

Featured performers:
Shefali Das
Karen Leowey
Giovanna Drummond
Hoohoo Zhou
Kim Zhou
Lucas Iverson
Aura Magnien
Safwon Farmer
Zoey Lin
Liam Sharpe
Minjae Kim
Joyce Ciesil
Emilee Biles
Tojo Rasedoara

This program note was written at 2:12 am.

I got a call from Wendall Harrington about a month into the pandemic and it turned my life upside down in the best possible way. Four years later, I’m not quite sure I’ve figured out what exactly “right side up” is, but I’m starting to realize that’s because everything has its own gravitational field. “Up” is relative to the surface of the planet you’re closest to. And “Right” is even more relative than my parents.

About 22 years ago, they got me started on violin lessons. About 15 years ago, they got me an educational copy of Motion 4. Since I was very young, planet sound and planet video have always been in a tight orbit, the best of friends. Suzan McCoy, Elaine Corriveau, Lev Gurevich, Ken Lam, Mr. Coryell, John “Coach” Ashley, Jim Lovensheimer, Carolyn Huebl, Elaine McCarthy, David Biedny, Shawn Boyle, and Wendall Harrington have been pivotal mentors in exploring that friendship. Trevor Tarnowski, Jean-Marie Glazer, hesoo cha, Kim Zhou, and Anna Horzen (sister) have been pivotal friends in pursuing that mentorship. To the others who remain unnamed- Joy says I get 400 words max. I am incredibly grateful for all of you. 

1-3 am is inspired by true events. ‘On occasion,’ I have found myself working late into the night. And as one’s mind begins its push into witching hour, I’ll find myself entering a flow state. My brain will know what it needs to make and my hands will know what to do, but my thoughts are free to wander far and wide. There’s a creativity that’s special to that hour, a unique awareness of time, an appreciation of cause and effect– and plenty of apprehension for the aforementioned effects. 

This 30(ish) minute multimedia experience is structured around some of the core values of Stoicism. I was particularly inspired by their relationship to the mortality thing. To the Stoics- while fear of death is perfectly natural, for all of human history, death has also been perfectly natural. Time marches on. Things start. Things bump into other things. Things end. (‘Things ending” is, coincidentally, indistinguishable from ‘things starting.’) There is pain. There is joy. The things that test us make us who we are. We can neither fully comprehend the effects of our actions, nor fully recognize the confluence of actions acting on our present. 

All we can do is attempt to keep a lookout through our narrow peephole into the world, course-correct, and enjoy the journey as best we can. All while trying to figure out which way is up.

I hope you enjoy our time together xD

Next

The Salvagers (2023)