George W.S. Trow’s Essay Within the Context of No Context changed how we looked at the world in November 1980; So Knowledge Workings offers a free reading on its anniversary
“Hilarious & Dangerous” that’s what Laurie Anderson said about Within the Context of No Context (WTCONC). And she wasn’t the only person wowed then or now by this essay celebrating its 40th anniversary. More recently, Kyle Chayka in The Nation described WTCONC as a work that allows us to “see the world differently; becomes part of your mental landscape. … seems to apply to each new moment.” And not only could I go on, but I do — below — about the power of this essay, but for those of you who wish wish to attend the live Zoom reading of Within the Context of No Context featuring John Clay, Quanda Johnson, Meghan Cox, and Aaron Long, you can skip to the end and just choose your performance for this enlightening Knowledge Workings Theater production on :
· Thursday, November 12 7:30 PM
Here is how George W.S. Trow in 1997 as part of an introduction to the published version of his essay described his approach that yielded Within the Context of No-Context in the November 17th 1980 issue of the New Yorker magazine : “Working as though from an unbroken tradition, I have made sense of my life by developing an ability to analyze mainstream American cultural artifacts, and this I also urge my fellow citizens to do.”
Novelist John Irving insisted that the essay was “essential reading for anyone interested in the demise, the terminal silliness, of our culture.” Laurie Anderson as mentioned included it in her Top 10 Books to take to a desert island because it was “hilarious and dangerous”. Ariel Levy praised how “Stylistically, it was remarkable, a hypnotic procession of aphorisms…” Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live said,“Trow has it right about everything.”
And writer after writer has continued over forty years to note the power and prescience of this majestic analysis of “mainstream cultural artifacts.” Even television and media critics praised his indictment of their effects upon our culture. Trow died in 2006, but his urging that all fellow citizens should inspect more closely these aspects of our culture remains more pertinent than ever. That’s why Knowledge Workings Theater presents three FREE live readings of an abridged version of WTCONC on November 12, 13th, and 14th. Running time is about 75 minutes: shorter than any Judd Apatow movie and only 50% more than the average person (a group to which we would not assign any reader of this article) spends daily on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
You can buy the full essay in book form here from Grove Atlantic, which includes a sparkling introduction by the late author.
Subscribe to the New Yorker and read it in the original version via their archives. The advertisements will amuse you.
But why not let our voices — John Clay , Quanda Johnson , Meghan Cox , and Aaron Long — reading WTCONC deliver to you the beauty and grace of Within the Context of No-Context? These immensely talented actors honor and emphasize how vital and profound the words Trow wrote four decades ago remain today. This production on Zoom and our December premiere of the new screwball comedy, Keeping Right, represent again our commitment that Knowledge Workings first stressed in our summer Zoom production of Grudges to #maketheaterlive . We need an audience to do that and hope you will be part of our audience for this special set of readings.
How To Get Your Link
Our limited seating live Zoom readings on November12th, 13th, or 14th are free.
Just click below at the LIVE reading of your choice to receive a return email with your Zoom link to Within The Context of No Context:
To attend the live Zoom reading on:
· Thursday, November 12 7:30 PM reading, click here
· Friday, November 13 7:30 PM reading, click here
· Saturday, November 14 2 PM reading, click here
Why is admission to any of the three performances of this reading free? Because it is more important than ever for us to consider the insights that George W.S. Trow offered forty years ago.
However, during this time of great crisis for those in the world of theater, we invite you to donate to our GoFundMe effort. All monies donated will be split equally and exclusively amongst our four extraordinarily talented readers: Meghan Cox, Quanda Johnson, Aaron Long, & John Clay. Just click here to donate whether $1, $10, or whatever seems right for you. And if circumstances prevent such a donation, that’s fine too. Times are tough, but we want you to attend one of these readings.
Hope to see you on Zoom and until then, good luck and good health to you and yours!
