THE CHORONZON MACHINE
Video Stills (selected by Orryelle from the footage of Michael Schoell and Peter Haren), Audio samples, Script extracts and Lyrics from the Ritual Opera:
SCENE 5 (HIEROPHANT)/ 16 (BLASTED TOWER):
P-chink JACKAL 2 lights candles in candleabra.
JACKAL 1 brings out the HIEROPHANT card. He turns the Wheel to its fifth notch, then lifts up his mask and puts it casually atop his head, becoming the HIEROPHANT.
He begins to explain the play in relation to the WHEEL of the TaRota, teaching the audience about the cyclic progression of the coupled trump cards, demonstrating the lemniscate spread it is based upon as the lemniscate tarot spread is projected on the video screen behind him. He explains also that the WHEEL OF FORTUNE card is the Wheel itself, and its rim is the WORLD/UNIVERSE card.
In the candle-lit other half of the stage, BABALON continues to seduce EMPEROR on the goatskin rug and cushions. He feeds her grapes from bowl and shares tokes from the hookah with her, while MELEK TAUS continues his dance behind them, fanning them with his peacock fan with lemniscate arm sweeps.
BABALON and EMPEROR begin to sensuously caress each other.
WORLD DANCER in her slow orbit is now very close to the House of Cards which is directly in her path.
In his explanation of the progression of the Cards/Scenes, HIEROPHANT emphasizes how ordered a sequence it is, each archetype playing its part in the cosmic harmony. A bright white light comes on a CHOIR OF ANGELS in ornate pew in the back row of the audience, as they being to sing the word, 'Harmony' with various melifluous harmonies. HIEROPHANT gets to his own card and introduces himself as such, carrying the HIEROPHANT Card out to the House of Cards at the front. HIEROPHANT then introduces the paired BLASTED TOWER card as JACKAL 2 brings it out.
As they bring these cards together on the peak (3rd level) of the House of Cards, HIEROPHANT explains that the TOWER represents chaos, havoc and unexpected change. The Card Tower fails to fall as expected, the Angels keep singing, 'harmony�', and HIEROPHANT is confused, repeating, 'Havoc!' expectantly.
The EMPEROR as he approaches orgasm in his entanglements with BABALON, begins groaning, 'Ahhh�', which is then echoed by the HIEROPHANT as he begins to scratch his head and murmer, 'Ahhh�', then by MELEK who begins to get an itchy nose and rub it, 'Ahhh�' [Video (inc. song) is paused]. The Angels like a broken record start repeating, 'Haaa�.'
This repeated sequence of 'ahhhs' rises in volume and intensity as the tension builds�
Eventually the FOOL orgasms with a cry and a spasm and MELEK sneezes out, '�Ah-HAVOC!' His sneeze (with help from his fan and Bellows in the Machine) blows down the House of Cards. JACKAL 1/3rd hurtles through it and up aisle to make sure. The Angels all start screaming, 'HAVOC!' discordantly. MELEK TAUS Song resumes with, 'When the Tower CRASHES!!�'
EMPEROR collapses, BABALON gets up and walks offstage disgustedly. As she does so she spins the WHEEL backwards in frustration to its EMPRESS/TEMPERANCE notch.
The WORLD DANCER, knocked by hurtling JACKAL 1/3rd and falling House of Cards, spins sdrawkcab tsaf to her EMPRESS/TEMPERANCE Scene position.
HIEROPHANT rushes over to the WHEEL putting his JACKAL 2 mask back on.
Everything screeches to a stop.
SCENE 14 (TEMPERANCE) REDUX:
Some of the music from this scene is playing/loading. It is a short extract from the MELEK TAUS track of CHORONZON MACHINE CD Music (c)02 The HarleQuintet.
MELEK (lyrics): '(When the Tower crashes)�She sifts embers from the Ashes�
Iris is the iris of my peacock eye with which to scry
Hers the Alchymic Art of Temperance
Double-Chaliced One, she pours starlight into lunar sea'
IRIS (TEMPERANCE)/HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL sifts gracefully through the fallen cards, packing them up as she does so (JACKALS 1 & 2 help with this and remove them from the stage), and finds the TEMPERANCE card, which she holds up.
WORLD DANCER is now moving forward again, rotating towards her Scene 6 position on the Right side of the collapsed Tower (House of Cards).
EMPEROR revives, looking shaken and flustered, and echoing IRIS's movements shuffles the cushions and himself around.
IRIS helps EMPEROR to his feet and exits.
JACKAL 2 is frozen next to the WHEEL. EMPEROR staggers and stumbles around like a broken robot until...
Put another Coin in The CHORONZON MACHINE
Images (except where noted otherwise) and text copyright (c)02 Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule
Animated Cogs courtesy of SevenOaksArt
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