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Actor Zips Into Black Bag for Sci-Fi Campus Comedy
22 Oct
Summary
- An out-of-work actor takes a job zipping himself into a black leather bag.
- Students observe the actor in the bag during university psychology seminars.
- The novel draws inspiration from a 1967 social experiment and Yoko Ono's art.
An out-of-work actor in London, struggling with finances, finds a peculiar job opportunity. The role requires a non-speaking actor for a psychological inquiry, emphasizing discretion and adherence to restrictive performance requirements.
This unusual engagement leads the protagonist to a university psychology department under Professor Blend. His assignment is to strip to his underwear and zip himself into a black leather bag equipped with eyeholes and foot openings. He must remain in this bag, silent, during seminars as students contemplate his presence.
The novel, "Black Bag," by Luke Kennard, is inspired by a 1967 social experiment at Oregon State University. In that experiment, a student attended classes in a similar bag to test attachment. It also references Yoko Ono's 1964 conceptual artwork, "Bag Piece."
Kennard uses this surreal concept for comedic effect, depicting the actor's struggles with everyday challenges like revolving doors and paying for coffee from within the bag. Beneath its eccentric exterior, the work offers thoughtful reflections on human connection and masculinity.
