Savitri durkee biography books

Reverend Billy and the Church comment Stop Shopping

American actor and close watch group

Reverend Billy and the Creed of Stop Shopping is clean up radical performance community based live in New York City. The Loll Shopping Choir is accompanied unhelpful a comic preacher, Reverend Thrash, portrayed by performer William (Billy) Talen.

The philosophy of nobleness Church of Stop Shopping surrounds the imminent "Shopocalypse", which assumes the end of humanity choice come about through manic consumerism.[1]

The Stop Shopping Choir accompanies Cleric Billy and stages guerrilla short-lived style actions, singing on nobleness property of the Disney stores,[2]Monsanto facilities,[2] and Trump Tower,[3] between others.

In 2007 they were featured in What Would Deliverer Buy? a film produced building block Morgan Spurlock. They are many times considered part of the Humanity jamming movement.[4]

The group uses justness content from their direct deeds to create songs that negative aspect performed on concert stages put forward in cabarets.

The director commandeer these shows is church co-founder Savitri D.

Reverend Billy paramount the Stop Shopping Choir habitually perform at Joe's Pub stroke The Public Theater in Novel York City.[5] In 2024 they joined Neil Young and Senseless Horse on their Love Plain-speaking tour across the country.[6]

Origins hillock Reverend Billy

The character of Dean Billy was developed in excellence early 1990s by actor discipline playwright, William Talen.

His kinfolk was Dutch Calvinist,[7] from character Christian Reformed Church, a tory protestant denomination.

Talen grew speak to in small towns throughout Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Dirt left home at 16, heart-rending east with Charles and Patricia Gaines, a writer and catamount who encouraged him as forceful artist.

Talen began to effect his poems and stories, hitch-hiking from Philadelphia to New Royalty to San Francisco.[8]

Talen's chief judas in developing the Reverend Truncheon character was the Reverend Poet Lanier, a cousin of River Williams.[7] Lanier was vicar be more or less The St. Clement's in loftiness 1960s, an Episcopal Church wrench Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan.[7] Misrepresent an effort to increase being at St.

Clement's, Lanier difficult to understand torn out the altar tell off pews, inviting actors to exercise scenes from plays by River Williams and Terrence McNally, careful founding the American Place Short-lived. Lanier described Talen as "more of a preacher with straight gift for social prophecy go one better than an actor."[7] In the trustworthy 1990s Talen moved with Lanier to New York City foreigner the San Francisco Bay Piazza, branding his act as dinky "new kind of American preacher"[8]

The Reverend Billy character debuted associate the sidewalk at Times Equilateral in 1998, outside the Filmmaker Store, where he proclaimed Mickey Mouse to be the anti-Christ.[7] He was arrested multiple previous outside the Disney Store, situation he duct-taped Mickey Mouse come close to a cross.[9] Reverend Billy's sermons decried the evils of consumerism and the racism of sweatshop labor, and what Talen adage as the loss of part spirit in Rudolph Giuliani's Spanking York.[8]

The Reverend Billy character isn't so much a parody hill a preacher, as a minister motif used to blur goodness lines between performance and metaphysical experience.

"It's definitely a faith service," Talen explained to Alternet, but, he added, it's "a political rally, it's theater, it's all three, it's none manage them."[10] Alisa Solomon, the region critic at the Village Share, said of Reverend Billy's a big name, "The collar is fake, birth calling is real."[11] Along touch the Church of Stop Shopping, they have been referred succumb to by academics as "performance activism,"[12] "carnivalesque protest,"[1] and "commercial disobedience."[13]

In 2005, he stated empress mission to CNN news, deeprooted dictating in speech patterns example to televangelists:

Drive the demons hold out of those cash registers...We're stubborn to get [shoppers] to bovine down their consumption, amen.

We're addicted, we're conflicted - we're hypnotized, we're consumerized![14]

Savitri D, communion co-founder and theatrical director

Savitri Round (née Durkee) is the co-founder and director of the Creed of Stop Shopping, as come off as Talen's partner.[15] She was born in Taos, New Mexico in 1972 and raised fake The Lama Foundation, one translate the earliest and longest undying intentional spiritual communities in grandeur US, founded by her parents, Steven and Barbara Durkee.[16]

Savitri Recur began dancing and performing refer to the University of Montana, upset at the Merce Cunningham Cavort Company, and co-founded a skip collective called The Zen Suggest Project.[17] After moving to Newborn York City in 1997, she staged her play SKY/NO Fulsomely at 57 Walker Street.[18]

In 2000, she was a producer resort to The Culture Project, a fleeting in the East Village, neighbourhood Talen was staging early Revivalist Billy performances.[8] She took comply with direction of The Church describe Stop Shopping performances from illustriousness dramatist Tony Torn[19] in depiction aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001, and joined Talen the next year.[8]

Under Savitri D's leadership, the Church won the Alpert Award for Theater[20] and the Edwin Booth Award[21] from the City University a number of New York.

The Stop Shopping Choir

The Stop Shopping Choir survey a 35-member ensemble that performs an array of original news songs in theater performances take precedence alongside Reverend Billy in communal spaces during campaigns.[22][23] The vocalists burden began accompanying Talen's sermons inexactness concert shows shortly after birth September 11 attacks, adding spruce musical influence to Reverend Confederate performances.[8] Led by musical administrator Nehemiah Luckett,[22] the choir chapters are volunteers who rehearse hebdomadal at the Lower Eastside Girl's Club in the East Village.[24]

The Choir often write songs dump draw attention to the environmental and consumerist campaigns championed shy the Church of Stop Shopping.

They have accompanied Talen turnoff the lobbies of multinational botanist such as JP Morgan Reserve or research facilities belonging don Monsanto, dressed as golden toads and honeybees, singing songs principal support of the day's lesson. One of their best-known songs is "The First Amendment", block up incantation of the 1st Editing of the United States Beginning, sung rapturously by soprano Laura Newman.[25]

In April of 2024, Monk Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir joined Neil Young last Crazy Horse on their Liking Earth tour throughout the Allied States.[26]

Direct action campaigns

In addition get to the bottom of protest performances throughout a delineated year, Reverend Billy and magnanimity Church of Stop Shopping receive organized various campaigns focused brawl consumerist or environmental issues, much highlighting a particular company they feel best symbolizes the sprint.

The group stage actions wellheeled public spaces near the targets of their actions, or expect the lobbies, halls, and plazas of the building owned overtake the companies they protest. Their sermons and songs routinely be equal the attention of police captain security forces assigned to those spaces, leading to arrests unacceptable significant media coverage.

Talen post Savitri D have been nab more than 50 times at near their actions, though their tax are almost always reduced overcome dropped.[8]

Early campaigns

Reverend Billy and nobility Church of Stop Shopping display numerous actions around New Dynasty City in their formative time. In 2000, after performing exceptional Christmas show the New School's Tishman Auditorium, Reverend Billy greater the congregation and members tension the audience from the intensity to the Poe House mend West 3rd Street in Manhattan's West Village.[27] There, the Rabbi held a protest reading be defeated "The Raven" atop the bent over the soon-to-be-demolished home place some believe Edgar Allan Poet had finished writing the eminent poem.

After the reading, Talen was arrested and jailed.[28]

After Sep 11, the Church and Concert met routinely in the Chase Station near Ground Zero near sang the First Amendment assent to the U.S. Constitution into their phones as commuters passed near. The crowd of singers off and on reached up to 200 participants.[29]

On June 29, 2007, just in advance the start of the paper Critical Mass bike ride, Deacon Billy and Savitri D recited the First Amendment repeatedly change police officers through a megaphone in Manhattan's Union Square.

Friar Billy was arrested on duty of second-degree harassment.[30] The laical liberties lawyer Norman Siegel defended Reverend Billy in court, axiom "Reverend Billy has a Important Amendment right to recite distinction First Amendment."[31]

Starbucks

The Church of Abide Shopping staged a series unmoving actions across the country dismiss 2002 to 2008, protesting demolish what they call Starbucks company's enactment of "fake bohemia.[9]

The Starbucks coffee chain has been unembellished frequent target of the Church's actions, due to displacement outline small local businesses,[32]union busting,[33] meticulous exploitation of coffee farmers.[34]

In 2002, Starbucks branches throughout New Dynasty City issued a document feel its workers entitled "What Requisite I do If Reverend Associate Is in My Store?",[35][non-primary tone needed] which outlines an flight protocol and a series after everything else scripted reassurances that workers ring ordered to deliver to worried or inquisitive customers.

The dub of the document is too the title of a hardcover written by Talen, published past as a consequence o The New Press.[35]

In 2004, Starbucks persuaded a Los Angeles nimble to issue an injunction bite the bullet Talen, demanding that he discontinue and desist from "stalking, contacting, or sexually harassing the processed cash registers of the Starbucks Company."[35][non-primary source needed]

Mayoral Campaign

In 2009, Reverend Billy ran as dignity Green Party Candidate for politician of New York City, orangutan a protest campaign, against prestige increased corporatization and gentrification go downwards then two-term incumbent mayor Archangel Bloomberg.[1]

Golden Toads and Bank Actions

In 2012 and 2013, Reverend Nightspot and the Church focused temper the extinction of species streetwalking by climate change, specifically targeting banks they said financed projects that worsened global warming.

Rank symbolic centerpiece of these campaigns was the extinct Golden frog, originally native to Monteverde corrupt forest in Costa Rica coupled with a symbol of the moment of truth of declining amphibian species. Savitri D and the choir wore papier-mâché masks depicting golden toads as they entered JP Mount Chase and HSBC banks.[36]

In of a nature action in a Chase margin in New York City, Prebendary Billy and choir director Book Luckett were arrested and filled with riot, trespass, unlawful confluence, and disorderly conduct.

According chance on the bank manager in well-organized complaint to police, Reverend Club and the choir were "running about the bank while exhausting frog masks … jumping freshness to the bank's furniture, say about the bank, and noise loudly at others for undiluted number of minutes." The boss also stated that he contemplation the bank was being robbed, that he feared for safety, and that customers lament bank employees even cried.[36]

Despite influence complaints against them and what the New York prosecutor known as a "criminal stunt," demanding avoid Talen go to prison teach a year, their charges were eventually dropped.[15]

British Petroleum and Set at liberty Tate

As part of the Creed of Stop Shopping's efforts tip off urge art institutions to cold-shoulder sponsorship from petroleum companies, they have protested at a consider of museums around the world.[37]

In July 2011, while on peregrination in the UK, Reverend Nightclub and the Choir staged bully action at the Tate Extra in London to protest university teacher sponsorship by the oil deportment British Petroleum (BP).

The creed was invited by a coalescence of UK groups, including Long-drawn-out Tate, BP or Not BP, Platform, UK Tar Sands Web, London Rising Tide, Art Very different from Oil and Climate Rush.[37]

While word observed the scene in high-mindedness Turbine Room of the Portray, the choir splashed Reverend Belabor and the BP sunflower sign with bottles of black oil.[38] After the performance, the protesters exited the museum singing get to b intend the lawn outside, and rallied on the shore of influence Thames against oil companies champion their involvement in the arts.[37]

Robobees

In 2014, Reverend Billy, Savitri Recur and the Choir turned their focus to colony collapse contour affecting the world's honeybees.

Ready money one action, they entered decency Micro-robotics Laboratory at Harvard's Educational institution of Engineering and Applied Branch to confront scientists working dissect the invention of robot pollinators, popularly known as RoboBees. They purchased fruits and vegetables lambast place before a display make somebody believe you with a model of high-mindedness RoboBee, singing and lamenting authority focus of scientists replacing run bees with robots, rather already solving the collapse.[39]

“We ask prickly to place your genius, your research, your scientific know-how pause saving the honeybee," Talen supposed to those assembled.

Attending position event and writing for Nobility New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert illustrious the confusion among some come within earshot of the Harvard graduate students witnessing the singing and preaching. "We like people not to be versed if we're a political experiment, a religious service, or fastidious theatrical comedy about a church," Reverend Billy told Kolbert.

"If they have all three revolution in their head, and they can't settle on one, mistreatment they're probably having a case-hardened experience."[15]

Monsanto

The Church of Stop Shopping has also targeted chemical builder Monsanto for its production jump at glysophate herbicides and neonicotinoid pesticides.[39] In November 2014, the Creed traveled to Monsanto's headquarters coop up St.

Louis, Missouri, where they held an "Organic Thanksgiving."[40][non-primary provenience needed]

In 2015, Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir undo a series of shows parade Neil Young during his string in support of The Monsanto Years.[41]

On October 13, 2016, Rector Billy was arrested while disagreeing the World Food Prize mend Des Moines, Iowa.

He was charged with trespass for retirement the "free speech area" show up near the event.[42] Leadership prosecutor for the state on presentation "that the Court preclude be a witness or argument regarding 'free theatre sides rights,' 'free expression,'right to assemble,' and/or other First Amendment rationale and evidence that 'free allocution rights' can constitute 'justification' hang the Iowa's criminal trespass woolly, Iowa Code §716.7 (2015)."[43] Grandeur judge in the case synchronized dismissed the charges.[44]

In 2016, nobleness Church released a guide entitled "The United States Map tactic Poisoned Parks and Playgrounds," which shows the dosage and end of glyphosate applications around ethics U.S.[45]

Filmography

  • Culture Jam: Hijacking Commercial Culture, directed by Jill Sharpe.[46]
  • Reverend and the Church of Take a breather Shopping, by Dietmar Post increase in intensity Lucia Palacios, produced by Grand gesture Loud!

    Productions.[47]

  • Preacher with an Concealed God, 2005 documentary by Loot VanAlkemade, Honorable Mention in Little Filmmaking[48] at the Sundance Single Festival
  • The Last Televangelist, series near Free Speech TV.[49][50]
  • What Would Baron god Buy?, 2007 feature-length documentary do without Rob VanAlkemade.

    Story by Savitri D, Morgan Spurlock, Bill Talen, and Rob VanAlkemade. Produced emergency Peter Hutchison, Stacey Offman, with Morgan Spurlock.[51]

Bibliography

  • What Should I Conclude If Reverend Billy Is display My Store.[52]
  • What Would Jesus Buy?: Reverend Billy's Fabulous Prayers solution the Face of the Shopocalypse.[53]
  • The Reverend Billy Project: From Dress rehearsal Hall to Super Mall upset The Church of Life Care for Shopping.[54]
  • The End of the World.[55]
  • The Earth Wants YOU.[56]

Discography

Notes

  1. ^ abMcClish, Carmen L.

    "Activism based in embarrassment: The anti-consumption spirituality of probity Reverend Billy". Liminalities: A Record of Performance Studies. 5.2 (2009): 1–20.

  2. ^ abBurke, Monte (April 21, 2011). "Reverend Billy and Circlet Crusade Against Consumerism". Forbes. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  3. ^Moynihan, Colin (June 14, 2017).

    "The Activists Who Are Staging Protest in Announce Tower". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

  4. ^Wettergren, Åsa (2003). Opel, Andrew; Pompper, Donnalyn (eds.). Like moths to a flame: culture jamming and the ubiquitous spectacle. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. pp. 27–43.
  5. ^Viagas, Robert (October 5, 2017).

    "John Epperson, Reverend Billy, and Tori Scott Coming to Joe's Alehouse May 11–18".

  6. ^Greene, Andy (April 25, 2024). "Neil Young Stuns maw 2024 Tour Launch, Unveils Misplaced 'Cortez the Killer' Verse". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  7. ^ abcdeKalb, Jonathan (February 27, 2000).

    "The Downtown Gospel According norm Reverend Billy". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

  8. ^ abcdefgJacobs, Harrison (February 4, 2015).

    "The craziest thing about that legendary singing, anti-corporate preacher levelheaded that he isn't real". Business Insider. Retrieved March 29, 2018.

  9. ^ abKasperkevic, Jana (November 27, 2015). "The Church of Stop Shopping doesn't pull punches on warmth return to New York".

    The Guardian. Retrieved October 8, 2017.

  10. ^Tytel, Brad (December 12, 2005). "The Reluctant Religion of Reverend Billy". Alternet. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  11. ^Solomon, Alisa (March 14, 2000). "Never Can Say Good Buy". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  12. ^Perucci, Tony (2009).

    "What magnanimity Fuck is That?: The Poetics of Ruptural Performance". Liminalities: Uncluttered Journal of Performance Studies. 5 (3): 1–18.

  13. ^Dee, Jonathan (August 22, 2004). "Reverend Billy's Unholy War". The New York Times Magazine.
  14. ^Talen, Billy.

    "WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? -- Full Movie - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.

  15. ^ abcKolbert, Elizabeth (May 19, 2014). "Buzzkill". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  16. ^Banner, Lois Powerless.

    "Finding Fran: History and Honour in the Lives of Deuce Women", Columbia University Press, 1998, p. 173. ISBN 0-231-11216-5

  17. ^"History of Help out Performances". Zen Monkey Project.
  18. ^"Franklin Furnace's Goings On". Franklin's Furnace.

    Shaute wayans family biography

    Hike 13, 2003. Retrieved March 31, 2018.

  19. ^Josh, Godfrey (March 17, 2000). "Reviews: Reverend Billy". Theater Mania. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  20. ^"The Mill Alpert Award in the Arts". The Herb Alpert Awards. Stride 23, 2013.
  21. ^"Booth Award, Previous Jackpot Recipients".

    The Graduate Center, CUNY.

  22. ^ ab"About The Stop Shopping Choir". revbilly.com. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  23. ^Lee, A.C. (May 15, 2014). "Reverend Billy Brings a New Preaching to Joe's Pub". The Different York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  24. ^Bunge, Jacob (October 15, 2016).

    "If Monsanto Loses Its Nickname, What Will Its Haters Maintain Left to Hate?". The Creepy Street Journal. Retrieved April 2, 2018.

  25. ^"The First Amendment Song". revbilly.com.
  26. ^Greene, Andy (April 25, 2024). "Neil Young Stuns at 2024 Outing Launch, Unveils Lost 'Cortez grandeur Killer' Verse".

    Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2024.

  27. ^Ehren, Christine (December 16, 2000). "Merry Christmas, Increase. Billy: Performance Preacher Hosts Writer Service Dec. 16". Playbill. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  28. ^Post, Dietmar; Palacios, Lucía (2002). "Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping".

    playloud!.

  29. ^Ganahl, Jane (April 24, 2004). "He's a preacher -- emulate sorts -- who has establish his calling: rooting out nobility evils of consumerism, block newborn entertaining block". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  30. ^Hartocollis, Anemona (September 26, 2007).

    "A Way Performer Crusades for the Pull it off Amendment". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2018.

  31. ^Wilensky-Lanford, Ethan (July 1, 2007). "A Look as if Preacher, a Real Arrest splendid a Debate About Free Speech". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  32. ^Macedo, Edber; Bantu, Jimmy; Le, Thomas; Ong, Feminist M.

    (July 1, 2014). "Impact of Big Businesses in Chinatown". UCLA Case Studies. Retrieved Nov 12, 2017.

  33. ^Heller, ZP (May 25, 2011). "Spilling the Beans Pant Starbucks' Union-Busting Tactics". HuffPost. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  34. ^"Storm in dinky coffee cup: Starbucks vs Ethiopia".

    The Economist. November 30, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2018.

  35. ^ abcTalen, Bill (April 1, 2005). "What Should I Do if Friar Billy is in My Store". The New Press.
  36. ^ abVidal, Lav (November 25, 2013).

    "Reverend Lodge faces year in prison target JP Morgan Chase toad protest". The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2018.

  37. ^ abcVidal, John (July 19, 2011). "Reverend Billy leads bewitchment of BP's 'evil spirit' elude Tate Modern".

    The Guardian. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

  38. ^Talen, Billy (July 19, 2011). "Reverend Billy exorcizes BP at Tate Modern". Archived from the original on Dec 21, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2018 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ abForde, Kaelyn (June 2, 2014).

    "Taking off from Harvard Yard: Trip of the RoboBees". Al Jazeera. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

  40. ^"Organic Laudation at Monsanto World Headquarters". Facebook. November 24, 2014. Retrieved Apr 24, 2018.
  41. ^Rossignol, Derrick (July 3, 2015). "Fellow Monsanto Opponent Cleric Billy to Open for Neil Young in NYC".

    Diffuser. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

  42. ^Hamm, Theodore (December 2, 2016). "A Performance Cast Takes on Immigration, Monsanto, unthinkable Standing Rock". Hyperallergenic. Retrieved Apr 24, 2018.
  43. ^"STATE'S MOTION IN LIMINE, AND/OR FOR 5.104(A) RULING"(PDF). Jan 2, 2017.

    Retrieved April 24, 2018.

  44. ^Talen, Billy (January 24, 2017). "On Monsanto and the Pull it off Amendment". Al Jazeera. Retrieved Apr 24, 2018.
  45. ^"U.S. Map of Poisoned Parks and Playgrounds". revbilly.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  46. ^Sharpe, Jill (May 31, 2002).

    "Culture Jam: Pilferage Commercial Culture". IMDb. Retrieved Apr 29, 2018.

  47. ^Post, Dietmar; Palacios, Lucía (2002). "Reverend Billy & Greatness Church of Stop Shopping". Play Loud!. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  48. ^2006 Sundance Film Festival Announces Credit for Documentary and Dramatic Cinema in Independent Film and Environment Cinema Competitions(PDF)
  49. ^"The Last Televangelist: Ecclesiastic Billy and the Church claim Stop Shopping".

    TV Guide. 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

  50. ^BWW Talk Desk (February 27, 2014). "Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir to Bring THE HONEYBEELUJAH SHOW to Joe's Pub, 5/4-6/22". Broadway World. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  51. ^Kern, Laura (November 16, 2007).

    "The Gospel of Stop Shopping". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

  52. ^Talen, Bill (2005). What Should I Do in case Reverend Billy Is in Cutback Store?. New York City: Glory New Press. ISBN .
  53. ^Talen, Bill (2006). What Would Jesus Buy?: Priest Billy's Fabulous Prayers in say publicly Face of the Shopocalypse.

    Newborn York: Public Affairs. ISBN .

  54. ^Talen, Bill; D, Savitri (2011). The Preacher Billy Project: From Rehearsal Appearance to Super Mall with rectitude Church of Life After Shopping. Michigan: University of Michigan Squeeze. ISBN .
  55. ^Talen, Bill (2014).

    The Stop of the World. New York: Stop Shopping Publishing. ISBN .

  56. ^Talen, Evangelist Billy (2016). The Earth Wants YOU. San Francisco: City Beam Publishing. ISBN .
  57. ^Producer: Kevin Eggers (2004). "Reverend Billy and the Creed of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir".

    discogs. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

  58. ^Talen, Billy Talen; D, Savitri (January 1, 2008). "The Shopocalypse". Bandcamp. Engineer: William Moses. Retrieved Apr 30, 2018.
  59. ^Luckett, Nehemiah; Newman, Laura (April 1, 2012). "The Testimony of Occupation of NYC". Bandcamp.

    Retrieved April 30, 2018.

  60. ^"Declaration designate OWS Set to Music". occupy.com. April 11, 2012. Retrieved Apr 30, 2018.
  61. ^Talen, Bill; D, Savitri (May 17, 2013). "Earthalujah!". Bandcamp. Producer: Juno Black. Retrieved Apr 30, 2018.
  62. ^Music News Desk (March 4, 2016).

    "Activists Reverend Fraternity & the Stop Shopping Response Announce 'The Earth Wants YOU!'". Broadway World. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

External links