Support Material: The Engineer in the Snow; a fantastical erotic fugue for Planet Earth
1: Video excerpts of Zoom Reading 2021
2: Darius Kedrus –click here for sound file from Engineer in the Snow development
3: Photos from zoom development
4: Previous work: Hades Fading (Hades Memudar) Bandung 2019/Melbourne AsiaTOPA 2020-
A collaboration between writer/director Sandra Fiona Long and Indonesian company Mainteater collaborating with designers Emily Barrie and Deden Bulqini- This highlights the design collaboration between Deden and Emily, and Sandra and Deden’s use of text, sound and visuals, including sensors etc.
https://kathpapas.net/hades-fading/
https://kathpapas.net/hades-fading/
5: Publicity and Marketing collateral- photos by Peter Casemento, originally funded through the Fringe Fund before the the Fringe live season was cancelled in 2021.
6: Text Excerpt- of current draft (from zoom reading)
The Engineer in the Snow: A fantastical erotic fugue for planet Earth.
By Sandra Fiona Long
SX 1
The sound of air.
What do you do?
I am a civil engineer.
Designing bridges?
Not quite. I design drainage systems.
The white panorama reflects from his mirrored goggles.
We want fish and frogs in our waterways, but how can they survive if we use our rivers as drains?
Every time it rains, water is funneled through gutters into the rivers at high speed. It’s a deluge. Washing away fish eggs and tadpoles. Fish and frogs need shallow pools to breed in. Areas still and warm for part of the year.
I’ve never thought of that.
So I am designing a system to divert drain water away from rivers back to the earth.
A deep rumbling rises from below.
Storm water will be redirected into tanks. Each block will have one. Then when river levels stabilise we will replant the river banks. Encouraging insects, fish and amphibians back.
That’s so great.
Pretty boring really.
No. It’s not boring at all. SX 2
I love it, I love engineering a lot.
We stare ahead. Above us metal cable squeaks through sheaves, pulling our chair into the terminal. We raise then lower the tips of our skis, standing up in unison to glide down hill.
SX3
Side by side we follow the ridge amongst the skiers and snow boarders. The ridge leads onto a wide slope. Skiers weave and splice past us, leaving trails of white ribbon in the snow.
SX4
I haven’t noticed that path before.
Me neither.
Strange, I’ve passed here so often…
We follow the mysterious path further and further off piste to a small clearing. Fir trees circle us. A gentle wind rustles through branches. The Engineer slips out of his skis.
I’m going to build a shelter.
It’s a skill he learnt as a boy scout. With a fine branch whittled to a blade he carves blocks from the wind packed snow-drift, stacking them into a dome before smoothing the joins over. I sit inside whittling my own tools then carve a network of flowing rivers into the icy ceiling with my green wood chisels. He spreads rugs and skins on the floor then lights several candles setting the ice shelter aglow. We step back to admire our work. The constellation of rivers sparkles above us. I am starting to feel really excited. I can’t believe I am here, building an ice castle with this incredible Engineer!
I too want to save the rivers. From now on, it’s my mission. SX6
Eyes interlocked we effortlessly slip out of ski suits, neck gaiters, gloves, to stand before each other in thermals and socks. My eyes flick down to his excited manhood creating an inviting angular thrust in soft grey merino long johns. The fire cracks and sizzles in the icy fireplace. It’s incredibly warm in here. SX 7
Drain water is diverted from rivers back to the thirsty earth as the Engineer crawls to me across icy expanse. Shallow rock pools warm in the afternoon sun as he nuzzles the line of my jaw sending water plants springing back along silty river beds. Communal gardens appear on every block as my feet walk up the sides of his legs. Neighbors water snow peas from newly installed tanks as I grasp the waistband of his thermal’s between big toe and second to peel down with one quick extension of my legs. Cucumbers, eggplant and watermelons ripen under warm sun as his suddenly naked erection slides towards me. Insects hover amongst flowering plants as his middle finger finds my buzzing clitoris.
Feral cats, foxes, goats, rabbit, deer, rats and horses are managed in national parks without cruelty as he reaches for the necessary in his wallet to roll in one singlehanded motion onto himself. Discarded wrappers and micro particles of plastic are drawn en-bulk from the ocean and repurposed into bio-degradable building materials as I tilt my pelvis to encourage the smooth curved head of his pulsing phallus towards the muscular grasp of my solar hollows. He dips his curiously angled transducer deep in my inductive proximity sensor attracting localized sustainable models of farming to replace large-scale monoculture all around the world. Frogs and fish long thought extinct return to rivers and billabongs everywhere before he teasingly withdraws, making me beg: SX 10
Please, please more fish and frogs in rivers and billabongs.
Yes
yes
ah
ah SX 11
Composting systems become a precious shared resource between neighbors where the hell did these rugs come from? Air is restored to it’s pristine condition this is on top of a mountain a snow covered mountain.
Manufacture localises reducing everyone’s global footprint as the lift operators clock off for the night. The Engineer’s amazing engineering innovations which could provide global water security gain international traction as we turn a blind eye to the echoing cries of the search party. HARUKI! HARUKIsan!
Is that your name?
Yes, my name is Haruki.
AhhhhHarukisan Ah ah ah ah
Peace and harmony born of deep respect for the earth settles on all humanity as my two teenaged children in our accommodation anxiously start dinner without me.
Do you think they’ll find her?
They’ll find her. Mum’s a survivor. Mmm Tempura!
Hey don’t eat the last prawn!
Let’s go halves.
You’ll bite off more than half.
I won’t. Promise. Oops sorry.
Don’t worry, you have it.
Here, it’s yours.
I don’t want it.
Go on take it.
No thank you.
Why not? SX 14
It’s got your slobber all over it. Why would I want to eat that? Dickhead.
::::::
The random beep and twang of electronics.
Perfume
Slippers
Shavers
Adaptors
Televisions
Power banks
Unbuttoning my coat I float up amongst flashing lights and discount signs.
Earrings
waffle irons
Pet shampoo
Footwear
Pre cut vegetables in poly packaging
I step off the elevator and turn left past a stack of marked down saucepans.
Instant noodles
Deodorant
Vacuum cleaners
Dehydrators
At aisle 4 there’s the stationary. Come to think of it I need a new pen.
Hosiery
Zippo lighter
Wind chimes
Bread oven
Hairspray
Sunglasses
Applicator tampons
Mascara
What’s beyond the Cherry Blossom Noren?
A delicately printed curtain flutters invitingly. Am allowed in there? There’s no sign says private or staff only. Palms together I part the noren and step into an oval chamber lined with products packaged in pink.
Sensual bath lotion
Edible massage oil
Liquid Love Samplers
Pheromone body mist
G spot stimulating gel
Strawberry lush deep throat spray
Happy Penis Hand Job gel
Tickle feather
Nipple clamp
Two egg rotator
Suction cup masturbator
Ride on ejaculating sex machine gun
Multi entry
Free bending.
Non BPA
Deep random pulsing
Hello. Hello!
360 rotation SX 16
Smooth bald head. Hello.
Velveteen exterior. Here. Can you see me? Oy! Over here!
Who…..who is speaking?
I’m on the 2nd shelf. In the middle. Down a bit. Up again. To the left. Here! Purple, 5 and a half inches long, 3 inches diameter, rechargeable motor, anti-dust coating, you’re staring right at me.
Here. HERE!
It waves behind it’s cellophane window.
You’re talking to me?
You smell good.
You can smell?
I’d like to immerse myself.
I’m just looking at the moment thanks.
2 year Warranty
I’ve already got one at home.
I offer more programmable sequences than any other product currently on the market. SX 17
I’m not looking for another at the moment.
So why have you come here?
It was the best choice of all the budget holidays.
A 24 hour department store?
I’m not doing much shopping.
Flexible tip?
Only things I need.
Deep random pulsing?
That does sound good…
Stimulates variedly, adopts soft and friendly, suits any fantasy.
You don’t have to stick with the Engineer in the Snow.
Though it is a good one isn’t it, The Engineer in the Snow….
How do you know about that?
Take me to the Engineer in the Snow.
Keep your voice down.
I want to divert drain water away from the rivers. Nourish communal vegies with rain and compost. I want you to squeeze down on my eco friendly material as we humanely caress the feral animal problem. Set the ice shelter aglow as we regenerate forests.
Quiet, please!
But the vibrator only get’s louder. Vibrating in loud frenzied pulses. Above metal cable squeaks through sheaves. Skiers weave and splice past us. Our groaning and moaning reaches a crescendo as the search party call out our names.
We have the power to save the rivers but not just the rivers. Together, nothing is off limits. The sky, the oceans, the mountains.
Please, Please take me to meet the Engineer. Afterwards, just run me under a tap with a bit of soap and I’m easily cleaned. SX 19
7: Audience feedback from reading
Engineer in the Snow
4 messages
Christian Leavesley <[email protected]> To: sandrafiona long <[email protected]>
Hi Sandra,
Sandra Fiona <[email protected]>
Fri, Oct 8, 2021 at 10:08 AM
Thanks again for the invitation to the read/performance. I absolutely adored it. I wasn't prepared for it to be so much fun. Not in relation to my expectation of your work - just because nothing much has been a whole of fun recently, and especially the performances I've seen on zoom have mostly felt very, very serious.
Something I have been thinking about since. (It may be too obvious to say - but I thought I would pass it on anyway.)
Since the performance, I haven't been thinking about planet Earth that much. What I've mostly been thinking about is what makes a person, or an idea, or an object sexy. What is that combination of what or who they are, and what or who you need them to be/perceive them to be - that makes us want to have sex with them. And also to connect or to merge ourselves with them - to give it a slightly more romantic slant. There was something quite sort 'avatar' or 'matrix' about it for me - where maybe the actual Earth was as important/no more important than the ideas/ideals/images/imaginings/fantasy of it.
Thanks again Sandra. Honestly, I've seen a heap of things on zoom - and I can't remember anything I've enjoyed more. I thought the work of all 3 of you was just completely outstanding.
Best, Christian.
4 messages
Christian Leavesley <[email protected]> To: sandrafiona long <[email protected]>
Hi Sandra,
Sandra Fiona <[email protected]>
Fri, Oct 8, 2021 at 10:08 AM
Thanks again for the invitation to the read/performance. I absolutely adored it. I wasn't prepared for it to be so much fun. Not in relation to my expectation of your work - just because nothing much has been a whole of fun recently, and especially the performances I've seen on zoom have mostly felt very, very serious.
Something I have been thinking about since. (It may be too obvious to say - but I thought I would pass it on anyway.)
Since the performance, I haven't been thinking about planet Earth that much. What I've mostly been thinking about is what makes a person, or an idea, or an object sexy. What is that combination of what or who they are, and what or who you need them to be/perceive them to be - that makes us want to have sex with them. And also to connect or to merge ourselves with them - to give it a slightly more romantic slant. There was something quite sort 'avatar' or 'matrix' about it for me - where maybe the actual Earth was as important/no more important than the ideas/ideals/images/imaginings/fantasy of it.
Thanks again Sandra. Honestly, I've seen a heap of things on zoom - and I can't remember anything I've enjoyed more. I thought the work of all 3 of you was just completely outstanding.
Best, Christian.