Ernest Hemmings on his 20-year theater project, upcoming show

“Art is CRAP,” Ernest Hemmings says, but clasp on, cheque your outrage. Note the capitals — it’s an acronym, successful this lawsuit lasting for Content, Rendering, Ambition, Presentation. The elements, arsenic helium sees it, of worthwhile art. These are immoderate of the principles that usher TSTMRKT, his 20-year Las Vegas-based theatre project. It’s an improbable premix of show art, comedy, Brechtian notions of theatre and much — “a random enactment of inexpensive theatrics,” arsenic the TSTMRKT website sums it up.

One unsocial element: Hemmings uses prerecorded dependable and movie collages to acceptable the signifier for each show, and they unfurl successful existent time. There’s nary techie triggering an effect astatine the close moment; the performances indispensable beryllium synced to the sound. It goes backmost to the A successful CRAP: “I effort to marque the task arsenic ambitious arsenic possible,” helium says.

As for what audiences marque of this, the TSTMRKT website is clear: Don’t interest astir it. “Each amusement is formulated and prepared with nary respect for assemblage reaction.” The constituent appears to beryllium to unit you retired of your mean pop-culture mindset — “Reality tv has turned america each into judges,” helium says — and into a headspace wherever lone your imaginativeness tin assistance you.

At 8 p.m. Friday astatine the Vegas Theatre Company (1025 S. First St.), helium volition signifier his “One Man Show” successful bid to movie a mentation helium tin usage to use to theatrical showcases and festivals. Tickets are $15 astatine tstmrt.com.

Your Dec. 10 amusement is the one-person amusement you debuted successful November?

Yes. It turned retired to beryllium a large success. I was tense astir it! I didn’t cognize if anyone would similar it, astatine all. It’s weird — erstwhile I’m moving with different people, astatine slightest there’s idiosyncratic other with maine who volition laughter oregon chuckle. But erstwhile you’re moving successful a vacuum, you person nary idea. When I went into the theatre I was sweating bullets. I had nary thought whether the assemblage would get bored, whether they’d boo and leave. It turned retired great, and I was like, “All right, this is the 1 that’s going into the can.”

Given the quality of the enactment you do, I would ideate that immoderate uncertainty astir whether it’s going to onshore oregon not is conscionable portion of the process — and possibly portion of the point.

Yeah, I person zero thought erstwhile I spell retired there, and each clip I americium sweating bullets. But that was the breathtaking happening astir this one. It became benignant of rote erstwhile I was doing it with (one oregon 2 different actors). It was worldly that was tried and true. It was 1 of those things wherever it was breathtaking 13 years ago. (But we had become) precise ginger with it due to the fact that we were ever trying to get booked determination and spot however overmuch wealth we could perchance make. Not much, by the way. (Laughs.)

I’m struck by however small the descriptions of the amusement accidental astir what we’ll really spot connected the stage. Are you withholding specifics to debar the assemblage having preconceived notions, oregon is it due to the fact that what you bash is hard to summarize?

You were close the archetypal time. It’s that preconceived conception that truly destroys the imaginative satellite that theatre is expected to bring. It’s 1 happening my theatre prof ages agone told maine — the 1 happening helium can’t basal is things you spot onstage that look similar the movies oregon television. You person these monolithic accumulation budgets truthful it looks arsenic existent arsenic possible. When the origins of theatre are a clump of Greeks lasting astir successful achromatic sheets going “Aaaahhh,” you know? You’re expected to person immoderate spot of imaginativeness coming into the theatre to statesman with.

Just similar erstwhile you bargain a grounds — successful the aged days you conscionable bought the grounds and you took a hazard connected it. Maybe you work thing astir it successful Rolling Stone. But erstwhile you plopped the needle down, you’re like, “All right, present we go!” And that’s benignant of what I privation the assemblage to do: Come in, bargain the summons and instrumentality the ride.

One presumes that aboriginal successful your career, determination was a fork successful the road, and successful 1 absorption was “Our Town” and a much accepted conception of theater, astatine which you mightiness marque a much important living. In the different absorption were dependable collages and Brechtian theater. What drew you to the latter?

I’m a kid of the ’70s, raised successful the ’80s, and the satellite that I existed in, if you were a definite tegument colour oregon looked a definite way, you were ne'er going to spot those roles. Those were things you wouldn’t beryllium handed. You could play the 3rd transgression successful the backmost or, if they were doing a accumulation of “Raisin successful the Sun,” arsenic agelong arsenic you matched the hue of the different actors onstage, you had a chance. (Laughs.) One clip I was successful a accumulation of “Miss Evers’ Boys,” and I looked similar I was the adopted son.

So I knew that if I was going to bash anything, it would person to beryllium thing new, and I was going to person to beryllium telling the audience, “Hey, enactment connected your imaginativeness hat, I am this character. I can bash the dependable inflections, I can beryllium this idiosyncratic oregon that person. You conscionable person to usage your imagination. Just similar we were doing a vigor play.”

Honestly, that’s what forced my hand. That and, of course, I started with nothing. I had zero dollars for a acceptable oregon immoderate of that stuff. I had thing but soil and a container of achromatic beans, and it’s like, each right, marque it work.

How antithetic is it for you to beryllium retired determination connected the signifier solo?

In this capableness it is. I utilized to bash stand-up, and it was conscionable maine doing jokes oregon making cracks. And successful this it’s conscionable me, and I’ve taken distant the antiaircraft mechanics a stand-up usually has. Like “Hey, I’ve got a microphone up here, you person to wage attraction to me. I’m doing my 10 minutes. I’m gonna marque you laugh.” When you’re successful a theatre doing a one-man show, present that antiaircraft mechanics of the microphone is gone, and you can’t fell down that pretense. And it’s like, “Now I person to show my accomplishment and support your attraction and support you entertained, and by the way, I’m going to power characters 12 times.” And I person to beryllium convincing astatine it. And successful the meantime, here’s a soundtrack that I composed for the inheritance and I person to support clip with that.

How hard is it to interweave your show with the soundtrack? You can’t hide a enactment for a speedy 2nd — it seems similar it would necessitate a batch of precision.

That’s an understatement. I’m telling you, if I (expletive) up, I (expletive) up — it’s beauteous obvious. When you’re retired connected your own, you’re floating successful space! And you’re proceeding yourself breathe. It was exhilarating! If you person a prime betwixt skydiving and doing a one-man show, I highly urge doing the one-man show.