LECTURE ON NOTHING and extracts from MUREAU
About
Contemporary Theatre Research Lab Inc. is both thrilled and honoured to present two works by one of the key figures of the modern avant-garde, legendary American composer John Cage.Lecture on Nothing, a seminal text in the avant-garde of the last century, is a composed talk - written rhythmically like a piece of music. In it, Cage examines notions of silence, and nothing - what we cannot capture or possess. It questions notions of ownership and proposes freedom and openness to the moment.
Often autobiographically, Cage discusses music - form, structure and materials - telling fascinating and whimsical anecdotes that illustrate this radically different way of being. In this poetic and insightful work, the audience is invited, unforgettably, to authentic presence.
Lecture on Nothing will be preceded by extracts from another of John Cage’s works, Mureau. In this piece, Cage takes the writings of American philosopher David Henry Thoreau, and rearranges them through chance processes. The result is a curious flow of recognisable words and phrases and fragmented sounds - mysterious, intriguing and oddly meaningful.
These texts will be performed, according to convention, in staged readings by Contemporary Theatre Research Lab Inc’s Artistic Director, Todd Barty. Barty’s extensive research and practice in experimental performance, as a theatre maker and an actor, make him ideally qualified to bring these seminal works to Townsville.
If a unique cultural experience drawn straight from the heart of modern artistic innovation sounds exciting, do not miss this rare opportunity to see and hear Lecture on Nothing and extracts from Mureau!
Dates
Wednesday 2 September 2026 - Saturday 5 September 2026 (UTC+10)Location
James Cook University - Indigenous Education and Research Centre
Building 301, James Cook University, Bebegu Yumba Campus Queensland 4814
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LECTURE ON NOTHING and extracts from MUREAU
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