The American Moon, Robert Whitman (1960)

     What the hell is a happening?   This question, while blunt, presents the quandary that many face when trying to understand this unique phenomenon that took place during the mid 1950's to the late 1960's. The name itself is rather ambiguous.  Even Allan Kaprow's earliest work, from which the name is derived, was not called a Happening, but 18 Happenings in 6 Parts.  While never chosen or validated by the artists who created them, the name Happenings has been in existence long enough to be considered the valid title for these unique events.

      The reasons why a definition of a happening has remained so unclear are varied.  To begin with, facts are quite scarce.  The number of people who have attended one of these unique performance events are rather small, as productions usually ran only once for a three to five day period and had relatively small audiences of around forty to fifty people.  The height of popularity for the art ocured in the early 1960's, and many people who experienced these events have died or find those days, shall we say, difficult to remember.

     Another reason for the lack of definition is the fact that many of those who did see an actual Happening came for entertainment purposes alone, and noted only external, superficial factors.  Others tried to view this new art form in terms of traditional theatre, not opening their minds to new definitions and allowing no room for invention or change.  Confused, they left the performance reporting incorrect information based primarily on a misunderstanding of what they had seen or perceived.

   For example, many reported that Happenings were performances where things "just happened".  This statement seems to imply a lack of preparation, thought or rehearsal, all of which is untrue.  What we do know of Happenings is intriguing.  Generally, they rejected the notion of the typical proscenium stage found in theatre.  Artists sought to create a space where everyone saw a different picture, not the same exact thing.  Happenings also differed from traditional theatre in the sense that they often abandoned an information structure - one involving use of plot and story to move the performance along - in favor of a compartmented structure.  Compartmented structure is based on the existence of seperate, yet continuous, units of performance which typically do not relate to one another.

    Happenings are usually non-matrixed performances, similar to what you would find in a classroom or at a sporting event.   Elements of scene, stage, character and action are not strictly defined and general understanding of what is and what is not performance is expected to be understood.   For example, a person sweeping in a Happening simply carries out a task. A person sweeping in a play may perform the same task, but with a certain attitude typical of their character, or with a clear motivation in mind.  Finally, in a happening, action is often indeterminate, yet not improvised.  Performers were typically given a list of options or choices on how to perform a task, but complete freedom was never given and varying from the assigned instructions was frowned upon.

     In the following pages, an attempt to provide historical and philosophical information on the nature of Happenings has been undertaken.  I hope you find the information thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Rebecca Walker