A Los Angeles Avant-Garde

“To say that Instant Theatre possesses something of surrealism, something of Dadaism, something of the puppet theater and the opera is to approach its meaning, which, to my mind, is poetry itself.” —Jack Hirschman, FM & Fine Arts (May, 1963)

There is scant documentation of Rachel Rosenthal’s radically provocative theatrical troupe, Instant Theatre (1955-1966). But earlier this year, Roberts Projects’ exhibition, Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody, offered a proper look into this ephemeral amoeba of avant-garde performance. With no recordings or films, and very little photography, you have to let what remains soak into your psyche and let your imagination fill in the gaps. This current show presents a recreation of the crude sets and a display of costumes, masks, and other relics. The experimental soundscape and vibrant lighting which the display is assembled against weave together the narration of this surrealist improvisational theatre company. Within this contextually appropriate setting and through the photographs, words, and materials of the times, the magic of these performances seeps through.