Show Poet Alex Caldiero an Opera of Sound and Motion f 11 If J By Valerie Christensen News Editor The stage is a cement floor In the center there is a bookcase tied with rough cord Everything fell quiet when the artist entered a man in a asuit asuit asuit suit and a brightly colored head head- dress He said nothing but stood with his briefcase in hand Finally after a long silence he spoke-not spoke with any language but with primitive sounds He sat and put his I briefcase down he picked up a drum and began a rhythmical beating Every sound counts in Alex Caldiero's work even his shoes' shoes scraping on the cement floor It is isopera isopera isopera opera with an orchestra of sound and a cast of movement Caldiero starts with primitive sounds moves through drums and finally reads from a book with prose and poetry He is assisted by two other artists They perform concurrently concurrently concurrently concur concur- and the room becomes an orchestra orchestra orchestra or or- chestra of sound The The program completely absorbs the audience Small children start making sounds in response to the theartist's theartist's theartist's artists artist's work Caldiero said that he is inspired by the traditional Italian storytellers who used to travel in his native Sic Sic- ily Storytellers used to move from town to town telling stories by singing singing singing sing sing- ing and using their bodies Caldiero said that the most important import import- ant part of his work is being at one with the medium There is no multimedia multimedia multi multimedia media for me they are all one Although Italian native na- na tive five tongue he is comfortable working working working work work- ing in English I didn't like English for a long time he said but sometime sometime sometime some some- time in high school I began to get comfortable with it Caldiero will be performing again on May 6 1995 at 7 pm p.m. at atthe atthe atthe the Salt Lake City Arts Center South of Abravanel Hall on West Temple Street in Salt Lake He will willbe willbe willbe be doing a different performance but the reading promises to be just justas as captivating |