Lead by creative producer and comedy star Sa-Rai Robinette, The Late Night ASMR Talk Show transformed the 4th Ave bar/restaurant The Woods into an interactive theater experience with audience members taking turns performing noise-music with instruments like a jar of marbles or crumpled gift wrap. This Jerry Springer Show inspired soft-style event took place a little less than two weeks ago on May 5. Tonight, the video version of The Late Night ASMR Talk Show (filmed and edited by Richard Sperry) will be shown along with other locally made films at The Foundry Theater’s “Open Screen” event.
HNN proudly covered the recent excitement surrounding the arrival of The Foundry’s brand new cinema screen and sound system: https://huntingtonnewsnetwork.com/?p=856
The Open Screen events are free to attend and occur monthly. This is a low-pressure opportunity for filmmakers to share their short films with the community and it is in the style of a typical music or comedy Open Mic though films should be submitted in advance to Emily@FoundryTheater.org.
Local film director Richard Sperry has become a regular face at Open Screen and has previously shared his film TWO BITS. When asked about his favorite part of these Open Screen events, Sperry said “Local artists and especially filmmakers have to foster their work and relationships. The open screen nights are a wonderful opportunity to engage with local film. Having the chance to see your work on the big screen and get feedback is amazing. More than anything I enjoy coming together as a community, thanks to these nights.”
ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response which is a physical response of extreme relaxation or “brain tingles” triggered by focused personal attention and sounds of soft whispering or gentle noises created by typically common objects. This physical sensation and the never-ending quest for boundaries in the land of internet novelty has created a massive community, mostly on YouTube but also including other popular internet video platforms.
Sa-Rai Robinette is a creative leader who collaborates extensively with other local multi-medium artists to create exhibitions and experiences. The Bible Camp art collective can be found at pop-up vendor events and TV Dinner, a sketch-comedy music extravaganza, is expected to have additional shows later this year. For The Late Night ASMR Talk Show, she played the TV host character Vanessa Banessa Vanessa, a big-haired bubblegum smacking celebrity.
I insisted on a short interview….
ERIKA: What made you want to take this niche internet ASMR trend and turn it into a live theater experience?
SA-RAI: I’ve always loved niche internet subgenres and groups, especially ASMR. I’ve always been fascinated with the kind of weird and intimate experiences that they can create, and that they have a uniquely positive community for the internet, which is usually pretty negative IMO.
In the past, I’ve done multiple collaborations with people incorporating ASMR into different performances and art shows. But what really made me want to do this show specifically is that I personally was in a rut performing-wise and just needed to do something that I could just have fun with and be spontaneous. I also think talk shows are a really weird format that still exists for some reason, and an ASMR talk show just seemed like an even odder more fun combination.
ERIKA: What was the most fun part of this ASMR Talk Show event?
SA-RAI: I had a blast throughout the whole night, to be honest. It was a really different performance experience for me personally and a very different character than anyone I’ve ever played before.
But if I had to choose the most fun aspect of the event, it would be that the entire crowd participated in and respected the “rules” of the event that we created.
Everyone whispering in a bar setting was extremely funny and created a really unique atmosphere that allowed for shared spontaneity and vulnerability. That’s an experience that I have never been a part of before and it wouldn’t have worked without the audience full-heartedly embracing the “rules”. I also loved when everyone from the audience came up and tried their hand at “ASMR” Some people were surprisingly really good at it. They should get their own youtube channels, I’d watch em.
Open Screen starts at 7pm and The Foundry Theater is located on the second floor of City Hall: 800 5th Ave Huntington, WV
