Parrot – Performed by Barbara Hall and Peter Kennedy

Piece of five-minute duration …

A performer should be seated at such a distance from the camera to allow a person to pass freely between both himself and the camera.
The video microphone should be placed close to the performer's mouth without being visible on camera. At precisely thirty second intervals, the person should pass between the camera and the performer. This should occur nine times within the space of five minutes (allowing a period of thirty seconds uninterrupted confrontation of performer and camera to begin with).
Simultaneously with the person passing between the performer and camera, the performer should say as clearly and consistently as possible throughout the work, the word “Parrot”.
There should be no apparent change in the performer-camera confrontation.

Technical Directions: The camera should remain constantly on the face of the performer whose facial expression should not change. The camera is to record from a pre-defined fixed position. Focus should not be changed to accommodate the passing of the person between the camera and the performer.

Peter Kennedy 1971