Jigsaw Nation
In 2006 I was asked to create a visual
interpretation of Jigsaw Nation, a theater
piece performed by the Relentless
Theatre Company. The artwork evolved
after watching workshop performances of
the piece and with feedback from the
Company’s writers and producers.
Jigsaw Nation is presented as a series of
overlapping monologues culled from
hours of man-on-the-street interviews that
address the question, “What does
American mean to you?” and thereby
creating a rich tapestry of stories that
reflects the American experience.
"It's all about celebrating the American
spirit," explains Relentless Theatre
founding artistic director Olivia Honegger.
"Although Americans are able to make
their voices heard through their right to
vote, many feel their feelings fall on deaf
ears. Responses to our question have
included words like 'freedom,' 'racism'
and 'independence,' and have expressed
such emotions as pride, fear, and
confusion. We try to reach out to every demographic, and voices heard in the play range from that of a ship's captain living in
Brooklyn to a survivor of the Cultural Revolution, from a U.S. solider in Iraq to a first generation [East] Indian."
The New York Sun wrote, "Jigsaw Nation draws its considerable power from the startling immediacy of real people's speech.
As the five simply dressed actors turn from veteran to teenager, immigrant to red stater, the script's uncanny ability to deliver
the original voices intact makes the characters crackle with life."
I layered text within the artwork to suggest the multiplicity of voices within the play. The portraits are both individual and
universal, as is the American, and human, experience. Relentless Theatre is using this piece in their promotional materials
as they tour nationwide.
To learn more about Jigsaw Nation and the Relentless Theatre Company, visit www.relentlesstheatre.com.