Object of Her Affection

Marsian De Lellis
P-6
CONTACT
Marsian De Lellis
1920 Hillhurst Ave., #173
Los Angeles
CA
90027
401.640.1651
[email protected]
MarsianDeLellis.com
Project Budget
$49,000
Grant Request
$5,000
501 (c)(3): Automata
PAST GRANTS AWARDED
2014 Seed - Object of Her Affection
Object of Her Affection
Object of Her Affection, is an unconventional love story centered on a woman who desires intimate relationships with
inanimate objects and her search for love that is just beyond her reach. In the Fall/Winter 2015, Marsian De Lellis will
premiere Object of Her Affection through Automata in Los Angeles. De Lellis and director, Michele Spears will work on the
actorly aspects of performance, engage with a composer, transition from mockups to fully realized puppets, collaborate
with a set designer, and continue to fine tune the story.
VIDEO SAMPLE
Title:
Object of Her Affection
Artists: Marsian De Lellis
Description: July 30, 2014
Marsian De Lellis, Object of Her Affection, 4 min video includes: Grandma, Marlin, and Libby excerpts
from REDCAT's New Original Works performance on July 30, 2014 in Los Angeles.
PROJECT
P-6
lwb.ovett;*
lovesiorycenleredon a womanwhodesiresiniimate
is an unconveniional
Obiectof HerAftection,
relationships
withinanimaieobjectsandherseafchior ovethatis iustbeyondher reach
AndreaLowe,aftershe has
Obiectof HerAflectionlallowslhe emoiionaljourneyot prclagonisl,
relationships
siadingwithherlirst
tronr
she reflectson her r.eaningful
fallen
a buildlng. n her lasi mom€nts,
she attractsa bad-boyhuntingrife witha mysticalside,and alef
love,a babyblanketDuringadolescence
wall. As Andreaevolves,so do her desires In adulthood,sh€
becomesinfaiuaiedwith a controversial
fiom monumental
structures:
a high-prolieslatuewho shediscovercis vacantlragic
seekscornpanionship
twin skyscrapers;
a brldgewho cheatstand a crumblingtenemeniwho ullimaielyfails her. Andrcarurely
HerGrandmolher
funcuons
as a carctaker,
afd as the ouiside
interactswithhumanswhoare uninteresting.
changesAndtea.
Throughherevolution,
we seehoweachrelaiionship
woflds viewson hercondition.
relaliorshipbelweenobjectsand personalilies
as
Objectof HerAffectionexploresthe synesihetic
and ways thal objectscan occupyr.ore than one
lhey collldethroughthe eyes of an ObjectSexLral,
abouthumanbelngs- fleshandblood'developlngintimale
rneaning
at anygiventime As a visuainarrative
rcationshlpswith rnanimalethings,Objectaf Het AffectionEhowslhe dualityof objeclsas (in)/animale:
to mos1.
animaieandsentienlthroughthe ey€soi Andfea,whilethesesameobjecisappearinanimate
in the news,Objectof HerAfectto, complicates
ln a lime wherer.arriageequalityis so pfomin€nt
notionsof sexualdiversityin locusingon a leadcha€clof with ObieclSexuaily (OS) Althoughsexua
minoriileshave made recenlstrides,a secondarylier of othernessfestersoulsidelhe oversimpLilicalion,
physical,
normalization,
of queeridentily.As an ernotional,
and romantic
desretowards
and mainslreaminq
inanimate
oblects,oS explodestraditional
caiegorization
of sexualily.PeoplewilhoS don'tso mrch wanta
placeat the iable,as theymaywanta relationship
withone.
ln 2014 writer, desiqner,and performer,lvlarsianDe Lellis collaboraiedwith direclorand
cho€ographerlvliche6 Spearsover a flve week periodthal includeda residencyal Aulomalawith a
NewOriginal
weekendof viewings,iollowedby a shorter,mofepolished,showcasevefsiontor REDCAT'S
De LeilisandSpearcworkshopped
the overallstory- beal
WorksFesiival.Duringthisleg of development,
experlmenling
withscaleand styleof mockuppuppels,sei pieces,and
by beat;andlhe vrsualdramaturgy,
LA Weekly,wtole
costumes ln response
lo ihe REDCATperlormances,
"The piece, which questions on a cosmic level our aniflcial alivialebetween the
anlmate ancl the inanimate, has lhe appealing, clroll humor ancl structunl unity of a
Davicl geclarisstory, '
De Lelliswas ableto leverageaddjiionallunding
Withearlysuppofrfromthe HensonFoundation,
TheAnnaSosenkoAssistTrust,Hatchfund,
and REDCAT.De Lellls
lromihe Cenlerfor Culiurallnnovalion,
is currenllyprcparingtor the prenriereoi Objectot HerAffectionin fall / winler,2015 wilh a roundoI grani
lncludlngthe Jim HensonFoundation
/ O NelllTheaterCentefResid€ncy.ln the
and residencyproposals,
cut
run {rpto the premiere,De LellisandSpearswillUneiunelhe storywiththe additionoi someprcviously
sequence:
a weddingwiththe ElifelTowerlhatgoesdisastrousi
and a origin
scenes,includlnga nightmare
of Andreas blankel. In the fext
siory:a flashbackto lhe underbelly
oi a sweatshopfromthe peGpective
phasesol developmenl,
De Lellisand Spearsplan to work on lhe actorlyaspeclsof ihe performance,
engagewith a composerto score lhe show, transitionJrcm mockupsto fully realizedpuppets and
witha set designerlo makelhe showtourable
afterthepremiere.
collaborale
"ln Object ol Her Alteclion, unimately, I want to dramatize the universal
development and lo6s ol rclationships we expe ence on our ioumey through life
analmake OS relaaableto anyone who has expeienced love or loss."
- MarsianDe Lellis
&ry
INCOME
Grants
ln-Kind
Donatrons
$20,000.00 $35,000.00
s5.000.00
$5.000.00
$2.000.00
$1,000.00
$2.000.00
$1.500.00 $2,500.00
ProiectGrantiAsk)
JimHensonFoundation
(Ask)
JHF/ O'NerlBesrdency
AssistT.ust{AsL)
AnnaSosenho
PuDoeteers
FundiAskl
ol AmericaEndowmenl
Ans (Asl)
Foundaton
for Contemporary
(Secured)
AutomataBesidency
(Ask)
JHF/ O'NeillTheaterCenierResidencv
Donaledlvaterias {Secured)
s1.000.00
$12,000.00 $1200000
$1.200
00
00
$1,500
Halchfund{Asl)
BoxOflice/Sales BoxOtfrce(2 weehends)
s300.00
TOTALINCOME
EXPENSE
Shipping
&
Detail
(Director.
Prem|ere
S.M.PerlofmerComposer)
Premere - DesionerFees(So!nd,Liohts,Set)
Residency
Slipends(Dir,S.l\,1
Composer)
, Perforrner,
(200
Builders
hrs)
ShlDDlnqFslimatelor JHF Residencv
AirlareandoroundtransDortation
for coreiearn
Set.Costume.andPuoDetMalerrals
Addiilonal
Rehearsal
SDace{2 weeks)
AdditionalShoo
SDace(2weeks)
StoraqeSDace(12months)
L ohtinoFental
Documentalion Blankl\,4edia
& SioraoeDrives
AdditionalEoulDmenl
Residencv
& VideoqraDhef
- PhotoqraDher
Premiere
& Videoqraoher
- Photoq|apher
Marketinq
Assistant
lvlarketing
Pfintlvlaierials
& OnlineAds
Bewards
Crowdiundino
Administalive
FiscalSDonsor
Expenses
Ilale als
Space& Olher
CraflServices
Pf6miereRehearsals
Build
$51,000.00
$9,000.00 $23,400.00
$6,400.00
s4.000.00
s4.000.00
$4.00000
$6,700.00
$2,700.00
$5,000.00 s500000
$1 40000
$4,400.00
$1.400.00
$600.00
$t.000.00
$1.460.00
s3,960.00
s1 400.00
$50000
$60000
$2 00000
$3,000.00
s600.00
$40000
$2,000.00 $3,000.00
$1.000
00
$54000
$1,540.00
$50000
$500.00
OTALEXPENSE $51,000.00
Budget Notes: This budgetfepresentsan expansivevisionincludinga premierein LA (witha 4 week
rehearsa
I period)and a 2-weekresidency.
Residency
expensesaccountlor $13.5k(or26%)olthe budget
To be saie, Lhavebudgeted$4kior shippjng,althoughI am hoplng10makeihat numbermuchlower.I am
in the prccessof weighingand measuringpieces,so I can get a betlerestimateon freighlratesfrom
by PaulZaloom).
Therearc a numberoi possibiliteslam
shippingbrokersandcasemakers(recommended
largerpiecesto be rnoreiransporiable
lookinginto,including
redesigning
and rebuildlng
Thrsyear, I have appliedto 100k ln fundingopporiunilies
and plan to applyto morein 2015 For the
workshoplwas ablelo laise$14kbelwe€ng€nts, crowdiunding,
andcommissions.
Wlth[/AP Fund, am
in a muchbeiterpositionaftef havinggonethroughthe entireprocessonce,and withthe new supporiof
&*&&f/t,t
perfofmanceariisi, who constructsvisual
l arsian De Lellis is a visual and interdisciplinary
narraiives,speclacles,and installalions,
centeredon seemingly"weird"peoplethal jlluminaiesomethlng
have touredthloughoutthe UnitedSlates,
essentialabout conlemporaryliie. De Lellis'periormances
MedicalPefornances
and hls inslallations
havebeenieaiuredjn ScarOf Wsibiliry:
Canada,and Edlnburgh;
A Jounal Of
And ContenponryA,t (Universilyof MinnesotaPrsss),and l,VomenAnd Pertotmance:
FeninistTheory(NewYorkUniversily
Press).
As an experimental
theatraartist,De Lellisusespuppetryperfofming
obiects,cutouts pop-ups,
visualnarrativeform likefilmwith its own
elaboratecostumes.and otherelementsto createa time-based
inherentmetaphors Puryetry Intenational describesDe Lellis work as conlaining a strcng idiosyndatic
persanalaesthetic',while The New Urbanitecteditshim wilh developing'a btand of eccent c adultpuppetry
that ascillalesbeffleenadorable,abject,campy,and eanest'. lnspiredby labloidsand pop culture,De
weirdpeopie,whosestoriesaresurprisingly
relaiable.In hlsproduclions
Lelliswfitesplaysaboutseemingly
lookal the liingesof our
form collldeswith content,lo seru€as bolh a commenlary
and compasslonate
Dlstinguished
as "colottul,elaborate'and nightnarish"by lhe Scoisrranduringits run al the
Fr nge,GrowingUp Linda,was an off-kilterook al the ficiiliousdaughlerot a lamousicecream
Edinburgh
mogu).Thrce l,TeekscelebratedLindatot ils "fusionof tashy and glam'. De Lellisinitiallydeveloped
throughthe AtlanticCenierfor the Aris andperiormed
excerpisal
GrcwingUp Lindaas pan of a residency
Coolidg€Comer
Theatfefor the NewCityandJudsonChurch;lrad Cow(O ando);SpaceArk (Pasadena);
Theaire and the Comedy Connection(Bosion);and PefishableTheatre and the Caffiage House
(Providence).
Fudgie'soeath,a neo-noirstand-alone
sectionof liada showsthe demiseol Carvelthroughpop
up bookswith live video amplificalion Waiermark(Orlando)noledlhat in Fudgie 'technobgymeets
traditionalslorlellng to great effect". Fudgie has been performedin Baltirnore'sTransmodernFostival,
Fes|valol AnimatedObjecis,StAnns warehouseLinksHall,the OrlandoFringe,
Calgary'slnternational
BEDCAT,andThe ParkTheatrc(Winnipeg).
ln Brideaf wildenslein- The Musical,an agingsocialitegrowsfuf and clawsto recaplurethe
game hunterhusband Describedas 'demented,touching,and inhercntly
aitentionot her philandering
strange"by Flavryill, Brldeis a we d and tragiclove storythal examineslhe makingof a monstrosity
throughone woman'spersonalstruggle.As her marriagedissolves,
she begrnsto reinvenihercelflhrough
to becomemorefeline,whichonly turtherheightenher senseol
dfasticmeasures- surgicalprocedures
estrangem€nt.The herclne'sstory is loosey inspiredby labloidaccountsof ihe feal-liie"cat womar',
JocelynWildenstein.
Objectof Het Affectlbn,
an unconvenlional
lovestoryabouta woman
Currenily,De Lellisis develaplng,
altractedto inanimateobjectsand her searchlor love lhat is jusl beyondher reach.De LelJisrecently
performed
at Adomataand a showcaseai
a luil workshopol Obleclin LosAngelesas parl ol a residency
BEDCATtor the New OriglnalWorks Feslival.lA Woeklynatedthal Object"has the appealing,dtoll hunol
anclstucturaluniff of a DavidSedais story." De Lellisis worklngon a iullpremi€fein the lall 012015at
Automatawithan accompanying
installalion
in itsfrontwlndowdisplay.
Ad
De Lellisearnedan IVFAin PuppetryandTheaierDesignfrornCaArts a BFAin Perlormance
irom The Schoolof the Art Insiiluteof Chicago,and has beenan Emerging
Adist in the NationalPuppetry
Conlerence
at th€ EugeneO'NeillTheatre
Center. As a visilinglecturer,he has presentedhis multimedia
artist ta ks such as Object/ Fetlsh:Stagingthe Suspensbnof Disbeliefin EverydayL,ifeat l,'larylandInstilute
Collegeof Art,The universityolConneclicut,
ClubSapien(Calgary),
and BryanlUnlversity.As an advocate
puppetry,De LelilscoJounded
the PuppeiSlamNetwork,
for art and contemporary
and currenilyserveson
the boardof UNIIVA'USA.