In February 1919, Chief Machinist’s Mate Ervin Arnold initiated a sting operation to eliminate queer behavior within the Navy, leading to the Newport Navy sex scandal of 1919. This scandal is the focus of an immersive video experience titled “Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza” created by Matthew Lawrence and Jason Tranchida. The documentary musical explores the drama and absurdity of the century-old scandal and premieres on September 12, 2024, at The Great Friends Meeting House.
Lawrence and Tranchida stumbled upon this historic narrative in 2019 and delved into research at various archives to uncover the full story. They found that Arnold’s investigation into queer activities in the Navy coincided with a Navy-produced musical called “Jack and the Beanstalk: A Fairy Extravaganza” as part of an effort to recruit young men into the Navy.
The video project combines elements from the Navy musical, daily reports of Arnold’s spies, archival photographs, and even musical theatre performances. The show will be displayed on three screens, with audio from the daily reports playing over recreated shots of the photographs. The performance will also include a recreation of the original “Jack and the Beanstalk: A Fairy Extravaganza” musical.
Supported by the Brown Arts Institute, the video installation is part of the IGNITE Series/PVD+ Projects festival and will be on display at the Lindemann Performing Arts Center until October 6, with special events such as an artist talk and opening reception scheduled. Admission is free and open to the public.
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Photo credit whatsupnewp.com