(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – Mortified, a comic excavation of teen-angst artifacts in which genuine journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more are shared by original authors before total strangers, comes to Club B-10 at MASS MoCA on Saturday, February 8, 2014, at 8pm. This is a poignant, hilarious look at high school tribulations: personal redemption through public humiliation.
The Mortified project began in the late 1990s when Dave Nadelberg unearthed a notably awkward love letter and began sharing it with friends. Formalizing as Mortified in 2002, with Neil Katcher joining soon after, the project has since sifted through thousands of otherwise forgotten notebooks, photos, and envelopes in an effort crack the lid off our cultural shoebox and expose our inner geek. Participants include a wide range of people, from professional performers (comics, actors, singers) to total amateurs (architects, ad execs, salesmen) all in the noble pursuit of personal redemption through public humiliation.
Mortified is ultimately intended to be a storytelling show – albeit one that uses a very unusual set of tools (Hello Kitty journals, beat-up notebooks, etc.) to convey its tales. The difference between Mortified and a traditional “lit salon” is that Mortified uses source material that has no awareness of its entertainment value and was not initially created for the project. In this sense, it is “accidental art.”
In addition to its popular website, Mortified has produced two books, a documentary, and a series of interviews that aired on the Sundance Channel.
A full bar, and dinner and snacks from Lickety Split are available before and during the show. Tickets are $20 reserved, $12 advance, $16 day of, and $10 students. Members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA box office, located on Marshall Street in North Adams, from 11am to 5pm (open every day except Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 x1 during box office hours or purchased online at MASS MoCA.
About MASS MoCA
MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest (and largest!) centers for making and enjoying the best new art of our time, across all media: music, art, dance, theater, film, and video. Hundreds of works of visual and performing art have been created on its 19th-century factory campus during fabrication and rehearsal residencies in North Adams, making MASS MoCA among the most productive sites in the country for the creation and presentation of new art. More platform than box, MASS MoCA strives to bring to its audiences art and shared learning experiences that are fresh, engaging, and transformative.
MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays. In July and August, MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 10am to 6pm every day. Gallery hours are often extended on evenings featuring performing arts events. Gallery admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, $5 for children 6 to16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413.662.2111 x1 or visit MASS MoCA.