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Admin was written and performed by Oisín McKenna and directed by Darren Sinnott. Firstly, it was part of Live Collision International Festival which was brought to Project Arts Centre around April, 2019. This performance was put once more after a couple of months as part of Dublin Fringe Festival . In the following link, the readers may find interviews with some artists of the aforementioned festival, as well as McKenna’s own words on the created performance (https://www.tn2magazine.ie/interview-with-some-live-collision-artists/). There is no doubt that Admin admits the pain of existing in the contemporary society in which the working class can barely afford the basics necessities to survive. It is absolutely clear and relevant that our contemporaries suffer of what could be called ‘communal anxiety’, considering that there is a social pressure to be X, to obtain Y, to overcome Z materialistic goals, to be a certain image. As McKenna says: “I’m interested in making work that is highly specific, in terms of time, location and culture. I would never try to make anything that’s ‘universal’. Some people will relate to the work and some people won’t.” Admin admits the emptiness of an existent capitalist European reality.
It is plausible that the preoccupations of the artist reflect on every single word of the performance. It is obvious that there is a strong political statement brought to the members of the audience. The political ideas are clearly heard, with a slight visual addition of confetti rain throughout the entire performance, which, somehow, results in a less serious tone. The performer “admits” (as the word is there more than six times) to the audience about existential notions, the lack of will to fulfil another dull day of labour, the preoccupations of economic depravity, the dreams of having a more stable love, economic life and becoming socially mobile, the impossibility of mindfulness. The writer’s aims were, indeed, portrayed, as stated: “I’m interested in the political possibilities of that discomfort, how it might cause a person to think critically on their own behaviour or on their surroundings”. Assumingly, the notions of discomfort goes to divergent directions. In other words, the philosophical concepts of perspectivism may be applied to such discomfort. Which might be caused amongst audience members who go through similar situations or amongst audience members who know that there are worse ‘evils’ on earth, who know that there are places where one cannot survive at all. Hence, it depends on perspectives. This is subjective. At times, the performance presents satirical moments which allow the subject matters to be more relatable to the public. The story is multilayered; there are different tones.
In terms of form, it was spoken-word. The performance was preset. The audience members enter the obscure box of Project Arts Centre and take their seats. There is a body onstage, sitting on an incredibly high stool, watching people as they pass, making visual and verbal contact to the ones whom the performer is familiar with while confetti comically rains nonstop. The public talks aloud. The performer remains silent – this is almost an abstract notion to one of the points brought up by the artist: loneliness, extreme boredom, nothingness, and the egocentric conception of human nature. Everyone sees a person who seems a bit anxious, yet no one stops talking, or laughing etc.
The performance has begun. It was a choice to be preset. Confetti. Lighting. Music. Microphone. And… silence. The fourth wall is automatically broken, there is no scenario, no ‘acting the other’, the artist shares the identity, the themes of the story they are about to listen and asks how the audience is. Thence, creates a comfort zone. Like a therapeutic group sharing experiences. Simple. Practical. Functional. The issues were there a year ago – or maybe two – all the spectators know it. But to what extent have things changed? The topics were not really challenging but they are still present. Perhaps, the notions of laziness and all the sociopolitical conditions are metaphorically intertwined and pointing people to new changing horizons. To move towards making changes. Not to stay on the couch waiting for Monday to start work again, and again, and again, and…
Fin.
