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America Whispers

‘AMERICA WHISPERS’ USES SECRET ONLINE POSTS TO DELVE INTO THE PSYCHE OF A CHAOTIC YEAR

Nation-wide soundscape of 500 voices uses secret, social media posts to explore 2020 inner-angst.

Just 48 hours prior to Election Day, as our nation teeters on a razor edge, the American public is evermore in need of answers to their deepest questions, hopes, and fears. America Whispers, the latest project from Brooklyn-founded theatre collective Ad Hoc Economy, puts its ear to the ground of our bizarre and trying period, listening to the anonymous aquifer flowing underneath these anxieties.

Whisper, the popular text-image social media app, allows users to anonymously-post and read the secret confessional thoughts within their communities. On Tuesday, August 11th, Ad Hoc Economy collected and transcribed every anonymous post from Whisper across four regions in that single day. The collaborative team -including four sound designers- now dispersed across the United States, then enlisted nearly 500 people from a diverse network of friends and actors to vocally-record each post. Chaptered into the project’s separate regions - New York City; Los Angeles; Billings, MT; and Fayetteville, AR - the final product is an approximately 40-minute creative soundscape constructed from these ‘voiced’ American secrets.

The entire 42-minute soundscape, produced by NYC theatre co. 'Ad Hoc Economy' (Artistic Director, Cole Wimpee / Co-Founding Producer, Michael Mason / Managing Director, Laten Willson / Co-Producer, Isaac Byrne / Sound Mastering, Ryan Dorin / Sound Designers, Megumi Katayama, Topher Kogan / Lead Voice Narration, Desiree Burch, Edward Astor Chin, Emily Althaus, Caroli Nolasco, NaTosha DeVon, Karen Sours Albuisa) can be heard ad-free with an end credits of the near-500 voice actors employed at the following link: https://vimeo.com/474275918

  • Cole Wimpee
    Director
    '(I)sland T(rap): The Epic Remixology of the Odyssey' (Winner Best Show, 2019 United Solo Fest), 'Butcher Holler Here We Come' (International Touring Show), Pontiac Firebird Variations (Ice Factory, Ohio 2011), LAVAMAN: Live in NYC (Ice Factor, Ohio 2009), Penetrator (Working Man's Clothes, NYC 2007), FUCKPLAYS (Ohio & Galapagos Art Space 2007)
  • Isaac Byrne
    Producer
    'In Vestments' (NYIT Winner Outstanding Production), 'To Nineveh' (NYIT Award Outstanding Production), Mozart's Sister (International Touring Show), St. Kilda (Fringe Hit Show),
  • Michael Mason
    Producer
    'Waiting for Godot' (Texas Correctional Facility, American Theatre Magazine Feature)
  • Laten Willson
    Producer
    'Color Tvs En Tijuana' (Brooklyn Fireproof), 'National Diet of Japan' (P.S.122), Kill Devil HIlls' (Collaboraction, Chicago)
  • Desiree Burch
    Key Cast
  • Emily Althaus
    Key Cast
  • Caroli Nolasco
    Key Cast
  • NaTosha DeVon
    Key Cast
  • Edward Astor Chin
    Key Cast
  • Karen Sours Albuisa
    Key Cast
  • Megumi Katayama (NYC)
    Sound Designers
  • Topher Kogen (Arkansas)
    Sound Designers
  • Ryan Dorin (Sound Mastering)
    Sound Designers
  • Adam Laten Willson (Los Angeles)
    Sound Designers
  • Michael Mason (Montana)
    Sound Designers
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Audio Art, Docu-Art, Soundscape, Political Art, "Listening Experience", Social Media Art, New Media
  • Runtime:
    42 hours 18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Audio with Video Component
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • N/A
Distribution Information
  • Vimeo Released Free online prior to Election Day
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Free TV
Director Biography - Cole Wimpee

Raised in McClendon Chisholm, Texas, ▲ Cole Wimpee’s (Artistic Director / Lead Producer) New York directing / producing and acting credits include shows at: P.S.122, The Ohio Theatre, I.R.T., 3 Legged Dog, The Tank, The Brick, American Place Theatre, Bushwick Starr, Player’s Theatre, Jack, Silent Barn, Connelly Theatre, Jimmy’s No.42, and Abrons Arts Center. Regional Credits: The Fridge in D.C., Collaboraction Chicago, WaterTower Theatre Dallas, DiverseWorks Houston, the Mudlark New Orleans Fringe, Hollywood Fringe, Tricklock Revolutions Festival at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Columbia Festival of the Arts in Maryland, Know Theatre Cincinnati Fringe, Ad Hoc Beaumont, EMP Collective Baltimore, Mid American Arts Alliance in Kansas City, and Glasbox in El Paso, Artist’s Lab Theatre at Crystal Bridges, Arkansas Staged at 21C Museum, TheatreSquared and Classical Edge in Fayetteville. An associate member of the Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, Cole is also a proud member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, Chicago Director’s Lab, Director’s Lab West (L.A.), Director’s Lab North (Toronto) and since 2008 has served as the co-artistic director of Brooklyn-based theater co. Ad Hoc Economy. BFA /Acting earned at Texas State University where he was a Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Acting Finalist. MFA / Directing earned at University of Arkansas where he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor for Best Director of a New Play (ISLAND TRAP: THE EPIC REMIXOLOGY OF THE ODYSSEY). ISLAND TRAP has gone on to win the Top Honor of Best Production or Best Performer at the San Diego International Fringe, United Solo Off-Broadway / Theatre Row NYC, The New Zealand Fringe, and Dunedin Fringe. Cole is also the recipient of numerous acting honors including 2 for Best Supporting Actor from Austin Critic’s Table and the Molly Rizzo Classical Acting Award. Cole's Doctoral Studies in Interdisciplinary Fine Art were done at Texas Tech University, where he travelled to present scholarly articles at conferences such as A2RU and The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival.

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Director Statement

Our work (Ad Hoc Economy, for which I am Artistic Director) was began in 2008 in Brooklyn and seeks to provide a fresh perspective on American culture and its relationship to ritual, mythology, madness, dreams, and deliverance. 'America Whispers' marks our first significant project of large scale (nearly 500-collaborators), outside of the indy-theatre form, which we have created new work in for over a decade. Most notably, 'Butcher Holler Here We Come' which has done international tours and won 2-major awards.