Performance Indication #35

dark, with a profound sense of mystery






- George Crumb


Date: Friday, February 11, 2005, 7:19 pm
Line: "Daly City" BART train (car 439x)
Location: between Bay Fair and San Leandro stations

It is a cold and rainy evening. A gentleman boards at San Leandro station. He has a grey beard and a definite paunch. He wears a tan baseball cap, a black jacket, denim shorts, and tan suede slip-on shoes. He chooses a seat adjacent to the the indication. In the process of setting his bag down, he notices the indication and stares at it for a moment while trying to deciper its meaning. Leaving his bag on the seat, the gentleman walks down the center aisle of the car looking for a discarded paper to read. Finding none, he returns to his seat and begins fidgeting with his cell phone. He offboards at Montgomery Street station.

A young lady and young gentleman board at Powell Street station. The young gentleman has rosy cheeks and wears a winter coat and carries a backpack. While his sister immediately begins searching the car for the comics section of the newspaper, the young gentleman spies the indication. He picks it up and reads it to himself. He brings it to his sister: "Look what I found." She is unimpressed, particularly in light of her own discovery of an abandoned comics section. The two sit together, looking over each others' shoulders at the comics now spread across both their laps.

Performance Indication #34

subito dramatic






- John Zorn


Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2005, 7:14 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1520y)
Location: between 12th Street and West Oakland stations

The indication remains unobserved, sitting next to a rumpled copy of the San Francisco Examiner sporting the headline: "Happy Chinese New Year!"

Performance Indication #33

breathlessly, with élan






- George Crumb


Date: Friday, February 4, 2005, 6:50 pm
Line: "Daly City" BART train (car 309y)
Location: between Bay Fair and San Leandro stations

A young lady boards at Coliseum station. She wears a simple white sweater and a white knit cap from which flows long black hair. She boards the train and quickly notices a free seat which she just as quickly assumes without ever noticing the indication residing next to her. She clutches a grey satchel and a purple travel bag

Performance Indication #32

quasi xylophone






- George Crumb


Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2005, 7:31 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1569x)
Location: between 12th Street and West Oakland stations

A lady wearing a light blue sweater with a tan vest boards at Embarcadero station. Her hair is stylishly streaked and short-cropped, and both ears have multiple piercings. The lady takes a seat next to the indication without noticing it at first. Once settled, the indication catches her eye, and, after turning her head in its direction almost imperceptably, she takes a long look at it out of the side of her eyes . She squints and frowns and makes a little face while trying to decode its meaning. Having reached whatever conclusion she reaches, she rides on, listening to her headphones.

Performance Indication #31

be an hour late






- Erik Satie


Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2005, 7:03 pm
Line: "Daly City" BART train (car 1873x)
Location: between Bay Fair and San Leandro stations

The trains are delayed terribly this evening. After many fits and starts , the train finally creeps into Embaracdero station. As I offboard, a lady wearing a powder blue ski jacket and thick rimmed glasses boards the train. From my vantage point on the station platform, I peer though the windows of car 1873x and observe the lady heading toward the open seat upon which the indication rests. She picks the indication up and considers it. The train doors close accompanied by the usual warning bell "Ding-Ding," and the train departs the station. I see the lady take her seat and open a book as the train rushes off.

Performance Indication #30

seriously but without tears






- Erik Satie


Date: Monday, January 31, 2005, 9:12 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1554x)
Location: between Rockridge and MacArthur stations

A gentleman boards at 12th Street station. He wears blue scrub pants, a puffy blue North Face jacket (slightly reminiscent of the Michelin Man), and a grey hooded sweatshirt. He grabs a seat next to the indication, taking notice of it with only the most casual of glances. His eyes are half-open, and he positions his hand on his lap in a way that almost makes it look double-jointed at the wrist. He closes his eyes and tries to rest.

Performance Indication #29

insistent






- John Zorn


Date: Monday, January 31, 2005, 6:47 pm
Line: "Richmond" BART train (car 1831x)
Location: between Hayward and Bay Fair stations

A somewhat haggard gentleman boards at Bay Fair station. He wears a lightweight black jacket with heavily smudged red collars. His hair is a salt and pepper mix of grey and brown, and under his scraggily beard and moustace is a face weathered and tan from exposure to the elements. Upon boarding, the gentleman scouts the train for somewhere to sit. He discovers the indication and swipes it to the floor to clear the seat. Having secured a seat, he rummages through the rest of the train in search of an abandoned newspaper. Finding a paper in the back of the car, he returns to his seat, sits down, and begins reading the Sporting Green section.

Performance Indication #28

light as an egg






- Erik Satie


Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2005, 7:15 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1742x)
Location: between 12th Street and West Oakland stations

A heavyset man with a moptop of dirty blond hair boards at Embarcadero station. He wears a tan parka over a tan t-shirt. He deftly swings into the seat and proceeds to sit on top of the indication. He takes some reading material, lowers his head in concentration, and begins to read.

Performance Indication #27

calm without slowness






- Erik Satie



Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Line: "J Church" Muni train
Location: between Embarcarder and Montogomery Street stations

A lady wearing a dark blue overcoat and a bluish grey woolen turtleneck boards at Montgomery Street station. She nestles her bag and then herself into her seat while all the time listening to her iPod. She nevere notices the indication.

Performance Indication #26

like Glenn Gould






- John Zorn



Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2005, 7:03 pm
Line: "Daly City" BART train (car 423y)
Location: between Bay Fair and San Leandro stations

A thin lady with sad eyes boards at Lake Merritt station. She clutches a floral patterned purse while listening to music through tiny earphones. She chooses a seat next to the indication in the half-empty car. She sets her purse down, looks at the indication momentarily, and strums her fingers on the seat for a second. She proceeds to remove a notebook from her purse and jots down a few notes. She returns her notebook, settles comfortably into her seat, and looks out the train window at the Oakland shipyards as she listens to her headphones.

Performance Indication #25

on yellowing velvet






- Erik Satie



Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2005, 7:32 pm
Line: "Richmond" BART train (car 378y)
Location: between Hayward and Bay Fair stations

The lonely little indication remains untouched and unnoticed.

Performance Indication #24

gracefully, with elastic rhythm






- George Crumb



Date: Monday, January 17, 2005, 7:19 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1693x)
Location: between West Oakland and Embarcadero stations


A young gentleman boards at Embarcadero station. He wears a grey and black woolen sweater, and a charcoal blue-grey woolen knit cap covers his head. He has an unusually pronounced Roman nose. In a single move, he grasps the back of the seat and swings from the aisle into the window seat. Landing on the unnoticed indication, he slumps back into the seat and wedges his knees against the back of the adjacent seat. He folds his hands and closes his eyes.

Performance Indication #23

horse laugh






- John Zorn



Date: Monday, January 17, 2005, 6:46 pm
Line: "Richmond" BART train (car 1741y)
Location: between Hayward and Bay Fair stations


A lady wearing a blue coat over a black-hooded sweatshirt boards at Fruitvale station. Her hair is tied up in a bun with a black scrunchy. She wears her reading glasses propped on top of her head. She chooses her seat and takes a long look at the indication before sitting on top of it and making herself comfortable. She puts her glasses on and begins reading the arts section of the Oakland Tribune.

Performance Indication #22

laugh without anyone knowing






- Erik Satie



Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2005, 7:16 pm
Line: "SFO/Millbrae" BART train (car 1843x)
Location: between 12th Street and West Oakland stations


As the train barrels through the transbay tube, a young gentleman literally dives into the seat upon which the indication is placed. He is feverishly looking for his lost wallet and sports an expression of both alarm and frustration that anyone having suffered through the same experience would immediately recognize. He has no luck finding the wallet in car 1843x and moves onto the next traincar in his desperate search. He is much too distracted to notice the indication.

At Embracadero station, a tall gentleman wearing a tan overcoat boards. He discovers the indication and scrutinizes it for meaning. Having come to whatever conclusion he comes to, he proceeds to sit on the indication. He continues his ride with a slightly melancholy expression, head forward, eyes looking slightly downward.

Performance Indication #21

with the tips of your eyes...






- Erik Satie



Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2005, 6:46 pm
Line: "Richmond" BART train (car 1744x)
Location: between Hayward and Bay Fair stations


A gentleman boards at Bay Fair station. He wears a black watch cap and a puffy Oakland Raiders jacket. Without first looking, he slings his bag onto the seat, and in one fluid motion, quickly follows, and seats himself on top of the indication. He immediately becomes engrossed with his cell phone, never noticing the indication upon which he is now sitting.

Performance Indication #20

"ugh"






- John Zorn



Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2004, 1:22 pm
Line: "J Church" Muni train
Location: between Embarcadero and Montgomery Street stations


A gentleman wearing a skijacket and a baseball cap boards while listening to his iPod. His tenure as a train passenger is brief as he offboards after two stops at Powell Street station, never noticing the indication sitting next to him.

A second gentleman, clad in an orange fleece pullover and a tan knit cap, boards at Powell Street station. He too sits next to the indication scarcely aware of its prescence. He begins playing a game of solitaire on his cell phone.

Performance Indication #19

dance inwardly






- Erik Satie



Date: Monday, December 20, 2004, 7:32 pm
Line: "J Church" Muni train
Location: between Embarcadero and Montgomery Street stations


A lady with long black hair and thick rimmed glasses boards at Powell Street station. She picks up the indication, looks at it, and then furtively tosses it to the floor. She takes the seat, and the train continues on its journey under San Francisco.

Performance Indication #18

looking at yourself from afar






- Erik Satie



Date: Friday, December 17, 2004, 6:25 pm
Line: "Daly City" BART train (car 1851x)
Location: between Bay Fair and San Leandro stations


A gaggle of five buoyant young ladies (with one rather large young gentleman in tow) burst onto the train at San Leandro station. They chatter a mile a minute driven by whatever source of perpetual energy teenagers seem to draw from. Are they headed to a concert at the Coliseum? A big night in the City?

One young lady breaks off from the klatch, quickly scouting out the train. She discovers the indication and surreptitiously takes it. She grabs a friend, shows her the indication, and the pair begin scoping out the rest of the train for more "mystery notes."

Meanwhile, the remaining members of the group cluster and discuss the swollen foot of one of the young ladies. Eventually their talk devolves into an animated game of charades. Secretly and silently, the eyes of the other passengers reveal that they too are playing.