Enough Said 1995-01-30, Stanton and Stephens

CLASSIFICATION

Swallow ID:
5167
Partner Institution:
Concordia University
Source Collection Label:
Lee Gotham collection
Series:
Lee Gotham collection
Sub Series:
Lee Gotham collection

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Title:
Enough Said 1995-01-30, Stanton and Stephens
Title Source:
Asset
Title Note:
Ephemera accompanying asset, corroborated by Lee Gotham, who introduces the event headliners.
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Performance: Spoken Word Poetry
Identifiers:
[]

Rights

Notes:
Rights status in process. We may wish to seek permission from individual artists and Drew Duncan, the videographer.

CREATORS

Name:
Gotham, Lee
Dates:
1962-
Role:
"Series organizer", "Producer"
Notes:
Lee Gotham was also the MC of this event.

Name:
Stanton, Victoria
Dates:
1970-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Headliner. One of the five members of the Fluffy Pagan Echoes collective.

Name:
Stephens, Ian
Dates:
1954–1996
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Headliner. Stephens also introduces a guest performer, briefly playing the role of MC.

CONTRIBUTORS

Name:
Duncan, Drew
Role:
"Recordist"
Notes:
Videographer.

Name:
Peter
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Guest performer, invited to the stage by Ian Stephens.

Name:
Bishop-Stall, Shaughnessy
Dates:
1974-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer.

Name:
Matthew (Legault?)
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. Identified as "Matthew" in the transcription.

Name:
(Rob?) Harris
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. Identified as "Harris" in the transcription.

Name:
Phil
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer.

Name:
McGrail, Justin
Dates:
1968-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.

Name:
Godin, S. (Steve)
Dates:
1956-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer.

Name:
Christine?
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. Identified as "Christine" in the transcription.

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

Image:
Image
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Video
Material Designation:
VHS
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Storage Capacity:
120 minutes
Playback Mode:
Mono
Tape Brand:
TDK EHG
Sound Quality:
Good
Other Physical Description:
VHS #2 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events.

DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION

Duration:
01:58:35
Size:
3.35 GB on disk
Bitrate:
2304Kbps (original); 256Kbps (master)
Encoding:
MPEG-4 movie
Content:
This is file 1 of 1 containing an AV recording of the event featuring Victoria Stanton and Ian Stephens as part of the Enough Said series, organized by Lee Gotham, with extra open-mic performances by Steve Godin, Justin McGrail, and others.
Notes:
Dimensions: 640 × 480.
Content Type:
Video Recording

Dates

Date:
1995-01-30
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
Asset

LOCATION

Address:
4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada
Venue:
Bistro 4
Latitude:
45.5169628
Longitude:
-73.5796147
Notes:
Bistro 4 (pronounced Bistro Quatre), no longer in existence.

CONTENT

Contents:
[Bistro 4 stage] 00:00:04 Video Description: Colour video, medium closeup of the stage at Bistro 4 (Quatre) (4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada). A single mic stand. The stage, slightly below street level, is set against a full-wall window looking out onto the St. Laurent Blvd. traffic—with both pedestrians and vehicles regularly passing by. The windows from across the street (4067 St. Laurent) are also visible, including an outdoor sign with the word “JETHRO.” People frequently pass in front of the camera. When the camera zooms out, a series of decals become visible, with words from the menu such as “DEJEUNER,” “CAPPUCCINO,” and “TISANE.” Lee Gotham 00:00:05 Check check. Bonsoir, tout le monde. Bienvenue encore une fois. Thanks for coming back to yet another evening of Enough Said. Well, we have a lot signed up as always. I guess I can just try and clarify for any who haven’t sussed it out: the first half, three quarters of the room has to remain smoke-free this evening. Please cooperate [scattered applause]. Thank you very much. And, if you need a smoke, yeah, right back to the bar or maybe out to the foyer would be just as good in-between acts or something of that nature. Ok, well, it’s going to be an eventful evening. I don’t need to do any introductions, I’m told, it’s wonderful. I could just mention that—at another point in the evening I will tell you all about what’s happening come February and March. And, yeah, without further ado, we’re gonna forge straight into things. So, enjoy, yeah, for those who haven’t overcome the oral phase, bare with us [laughter] until (it?) breaks, ok? | Video Description: Camera zooms into a medium closeup as Lee Gotham adjusts the mic. Dark sweater with snowflake motifs, rolled-up sleeves; black baseball cap turned back, stubble, long hair. Gotham makes introductory remarks as the camera adjusts the focus tries various degrees of closeups. Gotham then closes the sliding window. Lee Gotham 00:01:33 [Calls Victoria Stanton to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Lee Gotham invites the first performer to the stage. Victoria Stanton 00:01:55 [Victoria Stanton sings the word “poetry” into the mic, then decides to go a cappella. Performs piece. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Victoria Stanton approaches the mic and salutes the audience. Long light brown jacket atop a black blouse, chin-length dark hair with bangs, hoop earrings. Briefly talks to Lee Gotham. Opens her mouth wide several times, stretching the jaw, as the camera zooms into a closeup. Removes mic from stand. Opens mouth widely a few more times. Sings into the mic but then decides to go a cappella, returning the mic to the stand. Performs a song. Victoria Stanton 00:07:39 [Performs a piece beginning with the line, “Though I wish I could draw a map of perspective.”] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece. Victoria Stanton 00:12:03 [Breaks into song again, beginning with the word “classroom.”] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton sings. Victoria Stanton 00:12:19 [Resumes spoken piece, with the line, “My teacher, professor, stands in the front to the room and professes.” ] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece. Victoria Stanton 00:13:17 [Breaks into song again, beginning with the word “classroom.”] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton sings. Victoria Stanton 00:13:47 [Resumes spoken piece, with the line, “What you can’t see, can’t hurt you.” Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece. Camera zooms out during the applause. Lee Gotham 00:14:36 [Introduces Ian Stephens.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Lee Gotham talks to Ian Stephens, who is masked and sitting upstage. Zoom into a closeup as Gotham goes to the mic and invites Ian Stephens to the stage. Ian Stephens 00:15:30 [Calls for Peter. Reads an epistolary poem to Peter. Invites Peter to the stage.] | Video Description: Zoom into a closeup as Ian Stephens interacts with the audience and reads a poem directed to an audience member. Stephens wears a brown jacket atop a t-shirt with the words “BAD RELIGION” partially visible, a black scarf with red and grey stripes, buzz haircut. Peter 00:17:22 [Reads “Science Fiction,” beginning with the line “I live in a very old beautiful home.” Applause. Calls Ian Stephens to the stage.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium closeup as Peter enters the stage. Plaid brown shirt with rolled-up sleeves atop a white shirt, black scarf, black beanie hat, close-trimmed beard. Peter reads a piece. Ian Stephens 00:21:01 [Organizes objects on stage, in front of him. Introduces “Reagan mind #2 or Reagan remembers.” Continues setting up the stage. Puts on a cowboy hat. Sits down. Explains that, in this piece, he is Reagan’s mind. Puts on fake eyeballs, one larger than the other.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens sets the stage. Ian Stephens 00:24:03 [Performs “Reagan mind #2 or Reagan remembers,” opening with the line “Drunkenness compassion.” The piece is spoken against the background recording of a radio that keeps switching between stations; Stephens frequently comments upon the different pieces of music. Applause. Thanks the audience.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a piece while sitting down and holding the mic. After the opening the line, the fake eyeballs fall. Stephens readjusts them, but they fall multiple times. Stephens holds props during the performance, including a doll. At the end of the piece, amid applause, Stephens removes the cowboy hat. Ian Stephens 00:40:30 [Introduces and reads “The holy city,” crediting the music to Kevin Komoda (Stephen’s collaborator in the Wining Dining Drilling musical group). Performs “The holy city,” against background music by Kevin Komoda. Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot, then zoom into a closeup as Ian Stephens introduces and performs a piece. Stephens stands up to perform, holding a notebook and the mic; the camera zooms out and back into a medium closeup, following Stephens. Ian Stephens 00:48:07 [Announces he wants to try something different at the end, opening space for questions from the audience. Introduces “a few sweet terror poems,” adding that it is tricky but not impossible to read them (referring to the fact he’s wearing a mask). Before reading, names objects from what he calls “Reagan’s mind’s desk,” including a book titled “Guilt Free.” Adds that Reagan is a lucky man to have Alzheimer’s.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens leafs through a notebook, talks with the audience, then puts on a skeleton mask. Ian Stephens 00:50:15 [Reads a poem from the “Let’s be dead” sequence, beginning with the line, “I drew a picture of my coffin.” Explains it was not included in the book (Diary of a Trademark, The Muses’ Co., 1995) because it was “too deadly.”] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a piece. Ian Stephens 00:51:13 [Reads “Let’s be dead,” opening with the line “I know the club where you got the blow-job” (with slight differences from the version published in Diary of a Trademark, The Muses’ Co., 1995). Thanks audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a poem. Removes the mask mid-performance. Ian Stephens 00:58:34 [Introduces “I Started to get sick in New York” mentioning it is also from the book (Diary of a Trademark, The Muses’ Co., 1995) and another piece with music by Kevin Komoda. States the piece is dedicated to David Wojnarowicz. Performs piece, with significant differences from the version published in the book. Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot then zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens introduces and performs a piece. Ian Stephens 01:05:10 [Asks the audience if they have any questions.] | Video Description: Medium shot then zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens welcomes questions from the audience. AudienceMember1 01:05:24 [Asks, “Did I know you in Lennoxville in 1972?” Laughter.] | Video Description: Zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from the audience. Ian Stephens 01:05:30 [Responds, “A hypothetical question. Yes.” Laughter.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers the question. Lee Gotham 01:05:48 …speaking about a journalist, and we had a difference of opinion of your work, and she said, in spite of frequent irony, it wasn’t rescued, that there was something wrong with it [laughter]; and I thought, well, it’s more just sort of brute reality of it that feels to me, more often than not, above and beyond all the crap and whatnot. What do you say, when someone has this adverse sort of reaction? | Video Description: Medium closeup then zoom out to a medium shot as Ian Stephens listens to a question from Lee Gotham. Ian Stephens 01:06:21 I don’t care. [Laughter. Asks if anybody has another question.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Ian Stephens receives the mic back from Lee Gotham then zoom into a closeup as Stephens answers Gotham’s question. AudienceMember2 01:06:45 [Asks if Stephens is happy to be back in Montreal]. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from the audience. Ian Stephens 01:06:52 Oh yeah, I love Montreal, my home, I was born here, raised here. Everything I see around here resonates. (Certain little memories?). (?) I lived here Montreal was a province onto itself. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers to the question. Lee Gotham 01:07:15 [Asks about other performers or events that Ian Stephens would like see throughout the town.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from Lee Gotham. Ian Stephens 01:07:31 I think things are moving in a half-decent pace. I think the spoken word is getting passé. You have to make the leap into performance and you do that by getting out of the text; I’m still going through transition. But once you get beyond the text, it becomes performance poetry, which is a leap a lot of poets can’t do. The academics cannot do it. And I think that’s the litmus test. The academics, they wonder why their books don’t sell, they are unpopular, or whatever. You have to make that leap, I think. If you want to work with an audience, other than a very limited book reader. Ok, no more questions. Thank you very much. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers Gotham’s question. Zoom out to a medium long shot as Stephens puts scarf on and organizes objects amid applause. Lee Gotham 01:08:40 [Thanks Ian Stephens. Announces break.] | Video Description: Zoom into a medium closeup as Lee Gotham takes the mic and announces a break. Lee Gotham 01:09:10 [Makes remarks and introduces the first open-mic performer.] | Video Description: Cut to a medium closeup of Lee Gotham making remarks and introducing the first open-mic performer. Matthew (Legault?) 01:09:46 [Introduces piece as “a conversation between two people.” Reads piece, opening with the line “No, no, I’m not talking to you.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Matthew enters the stage and picks up mic. Short hair, goatee, black turtleneck. Zoom out to a medium shot as Matthew performs a piece. Matthew 01:13:34 [Reads “Wolf Billie,” beginning with the line “And now, ladies and gentleman, a little story about Wolf Billie.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Matthew performs a piece. Matthew 01:15:55 [Reads “In the room with yellow walls,” beginning with the line “I’m sitting on a chair; across from me is a sofa; on the sofa, the cat.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Matthew searches for a paper and performs a piece. Lee Gotham 01:17:15 [Thanks Matthew. Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup of Lee Gotham entering the stage. Zoom out to a medium shot of Gotham introducing the next performer. Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall 01:17:44 [Reads “Grandfather blues.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot of Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall entering the stage. Ear-length wavy hair, black button down shirt, thin necklace, stubble. Zoom to a closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem. Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall 01:19:55 [Reads piece beginning with the lines “I don’t know to talk, to walk. I don’t know my feet from a flower.” Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem. Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall 01:21:25 [Reads “Body politic” (later published as “Backyard” in Headlight Anthology no. 2, 1999). Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium shot then into a closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem. Lee Gotham 01:23:25 [Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Lee Gotham introduces the next performer. (Rob?) Harris 01:23:39 [Reads “Daydreams of an amputator.” Scattered laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as a Harris enters the stage. Zoom into a closeup as Harris reads a piece. Short hair, sideburns, grey sweater with red and blue lozenges atop a white-collared shirt over a black t-shirt. (Rob?) Harris 01:27:10 [Reads “(Don’t wait?).” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Harris reads a piece. Lee Gotham 01:32:27 [Thanks (Rob?). Announces a series of upcoming events, including: E.J. Brulé (Feb 6); a Benefit for En Marge, a street-kids safety-net organization (Feb 13); Groupe de Poésie Moderne (Feb 20); Sonja Skarstedt (Feb 27); Steve Godin (March 6); and Adeena Karasick (March 13). Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Cut to a medium closeup of Lee Gotham. As Gotham speaks, something bumps into the camera, which shakes. Phil 01:34:27 [Tells a story about the previous week. Reads a piece in German, opening with various repetitions of the first line. Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium shot as Phil enters stage and adjusts the mic stand while holding a guitar. Brown plaid shirt, shaved head except for a top hair tuft. Video cuts briefly into static. Phil fells a story then reads a piece. Phil 01:37:35 [Performs a song opening with, “Nowhere is real, man” and the repeated line “And the people are sheep”. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Phil performs a song. Lee Gotham 01:42:20 [Announces upcoming event with Steve Godin and calls him onto the stage.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Lee Gotham calls Steve Godin onto the stage. Steve Godin 01:43:06 [Introduces and reads a piece dialoguing with the Beauty and the Beast, titled “Beauty (of beings?) and beginning with the line, “In mythology there is a wish to return as a hero.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Steve Godin walks onto the stage and removes his scarf and messenger bag. Neck-length greying hair with long bangs, black leather jacket atop a black-and-blue t-shirt. Zoom into a closeup as Godin introduces and reads a piece. Steve Godin 01:47:40 [Reads untitled poem. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Steve Godin introduces and reads a poem. Lee Gotham 01:51:00 [Thanks Steve Godin. Calls on Justin McGrail to the stage to close the event with a “showstopper.”] | Video Description: Closeup as Lee Gotham thanks Steve Godin and invites the last open-mic performer to the stage. Justin McGrail 01:51:22 [Reads piece titled “For the window washers (?).”] | Video Description: Closeup as Justin McGrail enters the stage. Zoom out to a medium closeup as McGrail introduces and performs a piece. Short black hair, black t-shirt with a white skeleton torso over a long-sleeved white-shirt, cargo pants. Zoom out to a medium shot as McGrail performs, playing with and stretching the straps of his suspenders. At the end of the performance, he clips the straps back on. Lee Gotham 01:55:00 [Calls a last “surprise” performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Lee Gotham talks with Christine and enters the stage to invite an extra open-mic performer to the stage. Christine? 01:55:20 [Introduces and reads a poem (low mumbled audio). Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Christine walks up to the microphone and addresses audience. Short blond hair, brown vest atop a black turtleneck shirt, light-wash jeans. Christine introduces and reads a poem. Lee Gotham 01:57:20 [Thanks and reminds audience of the upcoming Benefit event for En Marge, with a “stellar cast of poets.”] | Video Description: Medium closeup of Lee Gotham at the stage, making final remarks. Zoom out to a medium long shot as Gotham leaves the stage; some empty chairs and audience members applauding. END 01:58:14 [Cut out]
Notes:
Event recording starts at 01:53:22:01 of VHS #2 asset, which contains multiple events.

NOTES

Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Carlos A. Pittella
Type:
General
Note:
VHS #2 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events: (1) Enough Said 1995-01-16, bissett and Nelson; (2) Enough Said 1995-01-30, Stanton and Stephens; (3) Enough Said 1995-02-06, Brulé; and (4) Enough Said 1995-02-13, Benefit Part 1. The asset was digitized, generating both uncompressed and compressed video files; the compressed files were then split into events to facilitate the transcription work. Metadata entries based on events.

RELATED WORKS

Citation:
Stephens, Ian. Diary of a Trademark. Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC: The Muses’ Co., 1995.

Citation:
Stephens, Ian. Wining Dining Drilling [album]. Montréal: En Guard Records, 1993.

Citation:
Disappointed a Few People. Dead in Love [album]. Montréal: Psyche Records, 1986.

Citation:
Stanton, Victoria, & Vincent Tinguely. Impure. Reinventing the Word: the Theory, Practice, and Oral History of Spoken Word in Montreal. Montreal: Conundrum Press, 2001.

Citation:
Zarov, Stéphane. "Mort d’un dramaturge en devenir : Ian Stephens (1954-1996)." In L'Annuaire théâtral, no. 19-20, pp. 207–208, 1996.

Citation:
Bishop-Stall, Shaughnessy. "Backyard." In Headlight Anthology, no. 2, 1999, pp. 82-83.