Absolute Massage

Unlaunch'd Voices

Body/Works

Acting resume

UNLAUNCH’D VOICES... AN EVENING WITH WALT WHITMAN,
strives to capture what I interpret to be the most vital contributions of the man. This generation will never know precisely how Whitman walked, talked, thought, or the many other ways he expressed himself and lived. To avoid any misrepresentation , I choose to keep any historical fictions or needless theatrics out of the play.
Instead I rely on the poetry - which surely stands on its’ own - and on as much of Whitman’s actual words and dialogue as possible. A portion of the dialogue was gathered from a priceless source, With Walt Whitman in Camden , a vast nine-volume collection of daily conversations with Whitman, written by his friend and neighbor, Horace Traubel. These books contain records of daily visits with Whitman over a period of five years leading up to the poet’s death. The volumes are filled with anecdotes, stories and memoirs, as well as important historical data. Whitman’s own prose works including Specimen Days, were also a valuable source.
Of what value is Whitman to us in contemporary America?
This is a question I asked repeatedly during the creation of this performance. Certainly, it is in Whitman’s inestimable contribution to our modern form of poetry and in his creation of free verse. But more, his worth lies in his “human-ness,” his determination to retain his individuality, his struggle with his sexual self, his joyfully inclusive view of life and his refreshing embrace of death.
Finally, I hope to leave you with greater insight not just into the “Great Man” or “The Great Poet,” but with an appreciation of Walt Whitman as an eternally great spirit.