Seattlest Interview: John Osebold of "Awesome"
John Osebold has been a fixture within Seattle’s fringe community since coming out of the University Of Washington’s School of Drama ten years ago. His many acting/ writing/ singing/ performing/ composing/ directing projects include Player King’s ‘Ballyhoo,’ the sketch comedy group ‘The Habit,’ and he is currently a member of the band “Awesome”, who released their first album, ‘Deleware,’ last fall. His latest project symphony finishes it’s run tonight (10pm) and tomorrow (8pm) at Trinity Parish Church on First Hill.
Tell us about your current show symphony.
symphony is a strange piece of music told in four movements. Though it was originally created without a particular theme in mind, the music conjures up images and ideas of the beginning, middle, and end of a universe. Translated through an instrument roster that includes saxophones, glockenspiels, pipe organ, typewriters, handbells, bass, drums, trumpet, cello, banjo, mandolin, voice, and more, the score is adapted for the blazing talents of the 14 individuals who generously agreed to participate -- in some cases, the proficiencies and personalities of the performers helped guide the score out of dead ends. Annex Theatre stepped up to produce it as part of their developmental Oyster Series, and the newly-remodeled Trinity Parish Church gets the MVP award for taking a chance by providing the perfect venue for a weird art project-- and for lending their pipe organ and handbells.
How did you come up with this concept?
Like many projects, the result is far off course from the original intention. I made a little show called Universal Translator as part of On the Boards' ‘Northwest New Works Festival’ in 2004. In an attempt to expand that show, I started working on a show divided equally between music, sketch comedy, horror-drama, and dance, in which the stage set would section off each discipline literally, then, over the course of the show, the disciplines would begin intruding on one other, creating unexpected and cataclysmic layering, culminating in an art orgasm. When I finally shelved that thing in favor of something a wee bit smaller, I kept dwelling on the notion of three pianists playing ragtime piano at once, creating a humorous clash, a sloppy music sandwich. I started playing music on a walkman while listening to street buskers or in music stores with other music blasting overhead. The noise it created was always glorious. The idea of playful layering haunted my daydreams until, at last, the seeds for
How do you decide what concepts or ideas you want to peruse with a group and which ones you want to take on yourself?
My concepts are the ones no one else would want to take credit for! I've been so fortunate with "Awesome", The Habit, and Player King -- groups teeming with great ideas and creative, loving people. In each case, the resulting material is necessarily the product of the collective, not solely an individual member. Once in a while, however, an idea strikes me such that, for some reason, I've got to preserve it As Is with as little compromise as I can manage. It's not usually the most popular idea. All this being said, I rarely do a show on my own, technically speaking: Though symphony is an idea of mine, the performers' skills contributed greatly to the score, Sam Anderson's designs shape the look and atmosphere of the show, Tim Sanders' writing makes up a quarter of the work, etc. Collaboration seems delightfully inevitable.
You've been an actor, musician, writer, composer, and director. Which of these most fulfills your creative side?
I love it all! Me big art whore! When one starts to dry up/become flaccid, I jump to another! I'm eternally an amateur artist, a child who wants to play with every toy until it's broken
How have you seen Seattle's fringe scene change in the past ten years?
I've only been in Seattle for ten years, so my assessment is probably fraught with inaccuracies. I remember first reading about companies like Annex Theatre, performers like Lauren Weedman, and bands like Sunny Day Real Estate in the mid 90s, astonished at how much ground there was to cover in the local fringe scene. There's always electrifying developments, such as the disappointing bankruptcy of the Seattle Fringe Festival, the establishment of one-of-a-kind experimental music venue Polestar (now Gallery 1412), and the development of online access to local arts. In some ways, though, it's maintained equilibrium: theaters and clubs close, new ones open, performers and groups rise to the status of Hot Item only to break up or be replaced within a few years, performer lofts are vacated, new ones start, the city cracks down on venues, businesses go underground, social movements start up, etc. It's the Inflatable Fringe Scene Balloon -- if you apply pressure to one area, the scene will compensate by rising higher in another area. This seems to mean that fringe art is so much a part of the life-blood of Seattle that people will accommodate whatever changes occur in its evolution in order to keep making art. Maybe that's a bunch of honey-covered crap, but I like to believe it.
What is next for "Awesome"?
Let's see. We are in the midst of creating noSIGNAL, a large-scale work to be performed at On the Boards May 4-6. They were gracious enough to let us play on their main stage. Before that, we'll be playing live music next week for Mercir's CD release party at Chop Suey (March 4) and then a month later at the Mirabeau Room (April 8). Also, we'll be hosting the next edition of Seattle Follies at Town Hall at the end of March (March 29). Our future plans include performing in Montana and New York in late summer and early fall. And then we break up, release solo albums that flop, reunite two years later, and then break up when we find there's no money coming in. If there's anything I forgot, it's most likely on the website.
What are the differences between building an audience for a sketch comedy group and a band?
Chicks like bands.
What is different from being in a sketch comedy group than a band?
Chicks like bands.
