Artnow, an Ashland nonprofit, hosts events at Lithia Park aimed at inspiring people to become superheroes in their own lives

By Art Van Kraft for Ashland.news

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” The opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel “David Copperfield” is an appropriate theme for the efforts of a group of Ashland performers to challenge local residents.

That challenge has been made by a new group of Ashland artists and performers, Artnow, a nonprofit. On Aug. 1, Artnow hosted a Silent Disco at Lithia Park. Part of the group’s Superhero Bootcamp is intended to give people an “immersive fitness quest where creativity meets capes and dancing becomes a superpower.”

Play a hero, be a hero

The idea behind that Friday’s event was to encourage people to become heroes in their own lives. With a combination of dance, music and performance art, the troupe produced messages broadcast through headphones, then acted out the scenarios in elaborate costumes. Audience members were encouraged to interact with the performers and develop their own version of a dance.

Artnow member Travis Puntarelli, one of the six players and a lead character in the production, said the event provides a way for people to engage on a more personal level.

“The group is designed as an interactive story that runs over a couple of weeks, based on the White Rabbit character,” he said.

Puntarelli said the game is based on a “passport” that is given to participants. The passport lists challenges that get them out and into the community. Participants earn points in varying amounts, depending on the challenges, Puntarelli said.

This Friday, Aug. 15, Artnow will host a glow-in-the-dark dance party from 6 to 10 p.m. at Lithia Park. The dance party, the group writes, is where hero show their moves, their light and their superpowered spirit.

Artnow member Aurora played one of the characters on Aug. 1. Aurora was among the five superhero coaches.

Power for the people

“We’re trying to inspire people to focus on their physical health and power. And how they can use that not just for their own betterment but for the good of the world and the community, for people to collaborate with each other to create social impact and change,” Aurora said.

The game’s cast includes a villain, Disconnecto, who tries to create disconnections and trigger the superhero dance.

“Halfway through the program, we will be interrupted by Disconecto, who’s trying to disconnect us away from the dance, away from the music, away from each other and back onto our screens back into our indoor caves, where we wither,” Aurora said.

“When Disconecto interrupts the music,” Aurora said, “the five superheroes are going to save the day, by reminding people that their joy is in their dancing, in their power. Don’t give in to the fear. Invite them into the game where they’ll be building a profile of their own superpower and going on a quest for a month.”

The performance is ongoing, Puntarelli said, and people can take the role-playing as far as they like.

Anyone can do it

The concept revolves around the idea that anyone can create a superhero persona. The group provides the passport, people make up their own superhero name, create an identity and act out that character for the next couple of weeks.

“Some people might pick up the passport book and a mask and say OK, I did it. Someone else might pick up the book and really engage with the challenges and end up walking a couple miles and visiting places they’ve never visited before or meeting a physical challenge,” Puntarelli said.

Ashland resident Maggie came to the performance with her two young children. She said the message was clear and might even be clear to her kids.

“The message was really important for kids to hear and for me to hear. It’s about tuning in to our body’s connection, and so many of the things we are missing as modern humans walking around with our big brains. I have an 8-year-old and a 6-year-old; they’ve been flying around in different directions all night,” she said.

Art Van Kraft is an artist living in Ashland and a former broadcast journalist and news director of a Los Angeles-area National Public Radio affiliate. Email him at [email protected].