DESCRIPTION
Pneumatica is an event about air, made of air and powered by air. The Squonkers pump up the volume with live original music that permeates the air, while inflatables pump up and immerse the audience.
Figures and tentacles grow, powered by blowers and vortex fans, and culminate in the 40-foot high Lady Pneumatica who incorporates a wind turbine on her head. She blossoms with sails, breathing steam and raising her inflated arms to the sky. Squonk’s music incorporates the swoops and eddies of air with electronic bagpipes and a vertical accordion that is Lady Pneumatica’s lungs, played like a piano while it rises and falls with her breath. Playing with visual puns, air is used to activate costumes – Squonkers inflate like blowfish and musically activate headtubes with wild guitar and bass riffs.
With the creation of Pneumatica, the Squonkers continue to pursue the most American and democratic of art forms: the public celebration, with boisterous music and surreal image. Squonk taunts and whispers, bellows and caresses, using the very medium of sound: air.
Created in 2014.
Visit our Store to purchase or download a CD of the music from this production.
Reviews
“a mix of sights and sounds that both entertains and inspires curiosity” – Providence Monthly
”Squonk rocked it out while harnessing ingenuity and air” – Dramatics Magazine
”Incorporating elements of street theater, pop-up art installation and solstice celebration” – Pittsburgh tribune Review
“VISUAL PUNS, WACKY COSTUMES, ELECTRONIC BAGPIPES AND GENERAL SURREAL MERRIMENT” – PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER
“AN ECCENTRIC SHOW THAT ITS AUDIENCE WON’T SOON FORGET” – THE ROANOKE TIMES
“FUSION OF FUNKY INFLATABLES, ZEBRA-STRIPED BAGPIPES AND ROCKING GUITARS” – CHAMPAIGN-URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
Videos
performances
Chalk the Block
El Paso, TX
ARTSwego
State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego
Oswego, NY
IngenuityFest
Cleveland, OH
Erie's Blues & Jazz Festival
Erie, PA
Artscape
Baltimore, MD
Wheeling Arts & Culture Fest
Wheeling, WV
Black Sheep Family Event
Pittsburgh, PA
Qingdao International Beer Festival
Qingdao, China
Avenida Houston
Houston, TX
University of Tennessee
Chattanooga, TN
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL
Flint Hills International Children’s Festival
Ordway – St. Paul, MN
Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts
Kimmel Center – Philadelphia, PA
Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival 2016
Fort Worth, TX
Artsplosion! at the Center
CFCC Humanities & Fine Arts Center – Wilmington, NC
Wake Forest Renaissance Centre
Wake Forest, NC
Pawley’s Island Festival of Music and Art
Georgetown, SC
ELLNORA
The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Urbana, IL
Arts Festival Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK
Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
Hancher Auditorium at University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Arts on the Allegheny
Kittanning, PA
Providence International Arts Festival
Providence, RI
Strawberry Festival
Midland Theatre – Newark, OH
Calgary International Children’s Festival
Calgary, AB Canada
Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival 2015
Fort Worth, TX
Schenley Plaza
Pittsburgh, PA
Harvest Festival
Waynesburg, PA
Braddock Redux Community Day
Braddock, PA
Bottleworks
Johnstown, PA
Wheeling Arts Fest
Wheeling, WV
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Pittsburgh, PA
Photos
Photos by John Altdorfer and Emily O'Donnell
Downloads
For downloadable publicity photos, contact Jackie Dempsey
Artists
The Artistic Directors
Steve O’Hearn & Jackie Dempsey
The Band
Keyboards & Accordion
Jackie Dempsey
Drums & Electronics
Kevin Kornicki
Electronic Bagpipes & Flute
Steve O’Hearn
Electric Guitar
David Wallace
Bass
Nathan Wilson
The Team
Music
Jackie Dempsey with the Squonkers
Design & Staging
Steve O’Hearn
Technical Direction
Todd Nonn
Graphic Design &
Contributing Visual Artist
David Wallace
Mechanical Systems
Keny Marshall
Textile Systems
Venise St. Pierre
Fabrication
Scott Conklin
Painting & Sculpting
Chris Letzelter
Props
Britton Mauk
Costume Design
Paula Ries
Movement Consultation
Beth Corning
Carpenter
Daniel Callery
Project Assistant
Heidi Nagle
Sound Design
Kevin Kornicki
Live Sound
George Powell
Assistant Live Sound
Sean Sullivan
Video Editor & Camera Person
Charles Debold
2nd Camera Person
Zac Cageao
Steve and Jackie would like to acknowledge everyone involved in this production for their creative contributions, especially the Squonk musicians for adding their own individual flavor to the music, and the designers, builders and technicians who added detail and richness to the production.
