‘Last Supper’ dishes out food for thought

Serious cultural exploration requires, among other things, serious eating.

“In Japan, for example, the cutting of food is extremely important. They often talk about the “taste of shape,’ the way in which food is transformed by the knife. In the Western world, we tend to place the emphasis on the cooking of food. It’s an entirely different aesthetic, a different way of thinking and appreciating,” observes Richard Gough.

Gough is the interdisciplinary artist in residence this semester, and his medium and artistic subject is, in fact, food and our relationship to it, especially in connection with the performance of cooking, he says.

At the moment, Gough and more than 30 students in two classes are probing the nuances of food in preparation for the American debut of “Last Supper IV,” an interactive performance piece.

Gough’s interest in food — as an artistic medium, not recreational pursuit — grew out of its psychologically and culturally charged place in societies around the globe.

“I like to eat, certainly. But the “Last Supper’ series also grows out of my interest in traveling,” he says. “I think we begin to understand people from other cultures through their food.”

As senior research fellow of the University of Wales-Aberystwyth and artistic director of its Centre for Performance Research, Gough has lectured his way across Europe, China, Japan, Columbia and Brazil. His “Last Suppers I, II and III” were staged in Amsterdam, Aberystwyth and Florence, respectively.

“Each version of the piece has been completely different from its predecessors,” Gough says. “This one probably would have been more at home in a gallery than on the stage, perhaps because I’m working under both the auspices of the art and theater departments in this residency. I would say that “Last Supper IV’ is going to be midway between an installation and a theatrical production.”

“Last Supper” audiences will be allowed entry at half-hour intervals. Once inside, students will conduct them on a guided tour of a labyrinth composed of several rooms where participants will experience a different aspect of food.

“We will divide each group into smaller groups. The groups will experience the rooms in a variety of ways,” Gough says. “Couples will be separated, ensuring they will have something to talk about at the end.”

This unorthodox approach is awakening Gough’s graduate students to new dimensions in teaching. Kelly Bremner, a Ph.D. candidate in theater research, plans on specializing in experimental theater at a small liberal arts college, and she says what she’s learning from Gough will give her own students a richer educational experience.

“I have a more focused way of looking now,” she says. “Richard’s desired aesthetic is as much about watching as it is about doing. I don’t necessarily plan on teaching exactly the way Richard does, but I do think I will leave this experience with lots of fresh ideas and strategies for my own work.”

Meanwhile, Rebecca Leib, a senior majoring in fine arts, says that working with Gough has prompted her to think critically about what she eats, how she eats it and what it all might mean.

“Our culture, I think, sees food as modular, quick. Americans have far less performance or tradition behind our eating habits — compare us to the meticulous serving guidelines they use in England, or attention paid to the shape of food in Japan,” she says. “Mass marketing of food causes us to lose something: taste, openness to other cuisines, the rich social interactions, in addition to the actual meal. I’m learning that food has an incredible range of intonations and meanings.”

Gough’s residency is sponsored by the Arts Institute. “Last Supper IV” will run Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 19-22. Tickets, $8 general, $5 for UW–Madison students, are available through the Vilas Hall Box Office, 262-1500. All performances will take place in Vilas Hall’s Hemsley Theatre.

“Seatings” will be available Nov. 19-21 on the half-hour 7-9 p.m. On Nov. 22 the first entry will begin at 3 p.m. and the last at 5 p.m.