Iceland (Part 1)

Iceland[1]

Series
Work In Progress
Original Broadcast Date
1990
Cast
Joe Frank
Format
Absurd Monologue, Narrative Monologue, Absurd Lists, 1 hour
Preceded by:	I'm Not Crazy
Followed by:	Iceland (Part 2)

Lila always carries a big purse, more of a bag than a purse really.

Iceland is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series Work In Progress. It was originally broadcast in 1990.

Synopsis

A description of Lila; her big purse, losing things, behavior in a movie theater and restaurant. Joe finds Professor Vogel's love letters to Lila. Rhythmic laughter in many voices. We're on the brink of social collapse, religions are crumbling, apes dressed as holy men. "Would you still love me if I were someone else?" Travel notes: flying paper at a celebration in Buenos Aires, being picked up by sister anthropologist; pushing a broken down bus through a poor countryside; an airport conveyor belt; a balloon safari with a nude English colonel and a licentious nun; climbing to the Rio statue wearing a party mask; scene in a Thai bar, sex with a singer while a piano playing queen suffers a breakdown. The search for truth, the nature of truth, "tailors of truth," truth as an infection, we should walk away from truth. Joe criticizes the music in his own show. Joe's program as a religious experience and a call for donations. Word play on whether Joe should get behind his work. More rhythmic laughter. Who is happier: a rich old man or a beggar, a rich young man or a slum dweller parolee, an aristocratic lady or a homeless woman. Joe accuses himself of saying nonsense, invites our wrath. He pines for the good old programs, begs us to end his show, admits to plagiarizing all his ideas.

Music

This is an incomplete record of the music in this program. If you can add more information, please do.

• "Ode to Perfume" - Holger Czukay (from On The Way To The Peak Of Normal, 1981) | YouTube

• "Tzima N'arki" - Eno, Moebius and Roedelius (from After The Heat, 1978) | YouTube
• "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses (from Spike Island, 1990) | YouTube

Additional credits

The original broadcast credits state: "Performed by Joe Frank, and created in collaboration with David Rapkin and Arthur Miller. Mixing engineer: Theo Mondle. Special thanks to Ariana Morgenstern, Kathleen Griffin, and Sheila Bjornlie."

Commentary

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