A Night of Surrealist Games

Upcoming Shows:

Miller will be hosting his Surrealist Games Night at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH, on Thurs., June 23.

NHPR interview for 3S Artspace show here.

Miller is seeking to host an evening of Exquisite Corpse games in intimate settings where individuals can learn and play riotous mind-bending games that were developed by Andre Breton and his co-conspirators during the 1920’s and ’30’s, the heyday of surrealism. The consummate master of ceremonies, Miller will not only explain and lead the games to kick off the event, but he’ll also DJ – providing a surrealistic soundtrack to the evening.

What People Have to say about A Night of Surrealist Games:

3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH:
“Fantastic night – a hilarious, creative, and healthy mix of mind-bend, head-clearing and humor-refraction.  And met great new people – thank you to esteemed host Roger Clark Miller for coming up to Portsmouth to throw an unconventional good time.”  Cliff Lazenby

I.C.A., Boston:
” ‘A Night of Surrealist Games’ was a first for us and an overwhelming patron favorite.  His knowledge of Surrealism and skill in getting strangers to play together was a smashing success!”     John Andress, Associate Director of Performing Arts.

Real Art Ways, Hartford:
“At Real Art Ways, we always encourage people to be creative and expand their horizons and the surrealist games truly allowed us all to do this.”     Jess Martel, House Manager.

First Night, Boston:
“First Night Boston is designed for families to have fun and to celebrate creativity; these aims were more than met in Roger’s ‘A Night of Surrealist Games.’   At the end of the evening, the wall was covered with new creations made by people who don’t think of themselves as artists.”     Tom Johnson, Director of Programs.

Interview with Miller on New Hampshire Public Radio.
Interview starts at 21:24

Miller:  “First Night Boston Surrealist Games were quite a blast: close to 300 players passed through the tables.  It’s still a thrill for me to see people, many who never met before they sat down together to play, collectively create something brand new.  And then be completely amused/amazed by the results.  A big hit this evening was the word game of PROVERBS: If/Then.  I estimate that at least 100 new proverbs were unleashed on the world.  Basically, Surrealist Games are a public service.”

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The name “Exquisite Corpse” is derived from the first word game they played: “The Exquisite Corpse shall drink the new wine.” Games will include the basic Exquisite Corpse word game, the basic Exquisite Corpse drawing game (advanced drawing skills are not required), the Dream Game, and other varieties of surrealist word games. Says Miller, “The wonder of these games is the unexpected juxtapositions that occur, creating amazingly synchronistic sequences and unexpected meanings and connections.”

The games require 3-4 people (up to 6 in some cases), so there will be a number of tables with different games going on simultaneously. After explaining the games, Miller will stroll the tables, making sure the simple but sometimes oddly confusing rules are followed.

Says Miller, “A great virtue of these games is that they are not at all competitive. A person who is an experienced artist may interact with a more naive drawer to produce a brilliant composition. It’s all about the collective work.”

Venue Requirements: The venue must have the space to set up small tables and chairs for participants to sit and play the games.  Enough light must be available to see well.

For more information, contact booking@rogerclarkmiller.com.

PAST EVENTS:
Feb.4, 2016:  3S Artspace, Portsmouth, N.H.
Dec.31, 2014: First Night, Boston
Brief video from First Night, Boston, Surrealist Games.
Fri., May 2, 2014: I.C.A., Boston
Brief video from First Night, Boston, Surrealist Games.
Sat., May 17, 2014: Portsmouth Book and Bar, Portsmouth, NH
Sat., Mar.1, 2014:  Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Sat., Feb.22, 2014:  MassMoCA, North Adams, MA
Brief Video from Mass MoCA Surrealist Games on Feb.22, 2014.
Mass MoCA’s photos from the evening on Feb.22, 2014.