Atlantic City Happenings
Atlantic City has an interesting reputation, and one that’s very erratic. Over the years it’s been a place of fabulous wealth and a lively social scene, a run-down section with a shady past, and a fantastic city that’s risen up from the ashes of its own history. That’s how it is today, and that’s one among many good reasons to visit. One can get the sense of what it was like back then, while still enjoying a very lovely now, with little hints here and there of the in-between.
It’s a place where things happen. Like any gambling town, there’s always a strong sense of the unexpected, and the unexpected does happen here with some regularity. There are plenty of distractions that visitors can seek out, but there are also magnificent moments that pop up, just because of sheer coincidence, that make it terribly interesting. It’s little wonder that this is the same city that saw the birth of Allan Kaprow , father of the Happening. His influence on future generations is very secure, having earned its place in his lifetime, but made more sure over the years of teaching and lecturing. He died in 2006, but his legacy lives in large pockets of counterculture, as well as having influenced quite a bit of pop culture, too.
He’s one of those great artists who was trying to bridge the gap between art and life , and started one of the movements that made so much of the work of revolutionary theatre in the 1960s possible. It also influenced Grotowski and a number of others, and has a substantial currency in the international arena as well. It might seem unlikely to think that booking a hotel might lead to a happening, but it’s certainly possible if your definition is as fluid as his. All that’s necessary is a certain set of requirements that are easily met here, and a willingness for something to happen. Gathering people in a public space is a great beginning. The rest is a night on the town, or a future work of art.