Claudette’s Theatre on Wheels was a 21rst century pageant wagon, a theatre of women. Claudette (1935-2022) found herself in her 50’s, a mother, divorced, with a history of manic depression, and after never having held a job, wondering what to do. She decided to claim and develop her artistic voice against numerous obstacles, and her theatre was born. Claudette researched, wrote, performed and produced numerous shows with only women characters: president’s wives, cultural figures, actresses, fashion icons. She played to a president, to FBI directors, to military troops and audiences through out the United States. Through short clips that are viewed when you click each tondo in the app, we mean to give a portrait of an everywoman actress who anticipated so much of what is happening today: her focus on women; on fashion and power; on becoming a self realized artist; on enacting bravery and courage as an artist; and so many other things. She accomplished all this against the backdrop of her life, and a deep love for the people around her. We celebrate her rise from the quotidian to her realization of a life in art. Today, Claudette opens in Munchen!
Jamie Burkart and Michael Rees have collaborated to create an augmented reality experience for #MakeUseVisible Munich. They worked with video which was produced by Jamie Burkart, Anne Dufy Burkart and Julia Fredenburg with Claudette. The video was shot in 2017 on site at John and Melody Walker’s home.
Jamie Burkart is an artist, designer and community practitioner based in Brooklyn, NY & Kansas City, MO. “Expect the best. Prepare for the best. Stay o p e n.” jburkart@ucsc.edu
Michael Rees is an artist and the director of the Center for New Art at William Paterson University. He lives in North Bergen, NJ. “Chance favors the mind sufficiently prepared to receive it.”