my dream

I believe that focusing on our similarities, rather than our differences, leads to a better world.

Commensal Mischief

Share a short description of your project. (50 words) 

“Commensal Mischief” is a series of public street performances carried out over a five year period on six continents, in as many different nations and communities as possible. Its goal is to explore the underlying bonds that unify all human beings, even among those of divergent cultural and sociopolitical heritage. 

Tell us about your project in detail, including the final expected form that your project will take. (250 words). 

At midday in a public space, a large fantastical yet familiar creature emerges, scurrying to and fro. Passersby stop in their tracks, suddenly pulled away from their commonplace distractions and into the present moment. The creature is an enormous but friendly brown rat in human clothes. The clothes are that of a mid-century Western laborer in dilapidated tans and browns. The head is a complex mixed media mask with blinking eyes. From the hindquarters, a six-foot long pink felt tail. 

Performances last anywhere from 15-30 minutes and can happen in any type of public space or setting. The character is friendly while a bit alarming and arouses a joyful if playfully frightened response from most people. 

A great asset of non-language dependent performance is that it is readily presentable across the globe. I learned this first hand working with Blue Man Group, Sleep No More, and Imago Theater. Rats also coexist globally with humans. My hypothesis is that audience reactions to this work, anywhere in the world, will have universal similarities. 

An encounter like this encourages people to consider their place in the animal kingdom. It helps them see themselves as animals and impacts their relationship with nature at large. Any similarity in responses from across cultures is evidence of the deeper genetic and spiritual bonds that unify all human beings. A videographer will document every appearance for reflection and circulation. This project is ultimately about celebrating these oft-forgotten universal bonds while revealing the human and animal within us all.  

How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? Please be as specific as possible. (100 words) 

This project is not a singular event but rather the culmination of many events over the course of several years. It can't happen in just one place, it must happen in at least dozens of public spaces across the globe. The performance has a loose structure but involves a lot of spontaneous interaction with people, much of which can’t be anticipated. It marries the polished quality of stage performance with the rough hewn grit of street performance. It also acts as a science experiment to record and analyze the responses elicited from the various communities in search of unifying similarities. 

What kind of impact—artistic, creative, intellectual, communal, civic, social, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words) 

The impact I hope to have on people is to increase, or introduce to them in the first place, an awareness of the fact that they themselves are animals. That they are no different in source and substance from all other animals on earth. I believe this understanding will foster a sense of unity among humans as a group and break down divisive barriers. The project achieves this by showing people their own form in that of an animal. When other animals (dogs and cats) react in kind to this encounter, it illustrates humankind’s connection to the larger animal kingdom. 

Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this project? Think beyond the broad art community where possible. How are you hoping to reach them? (100 words) 

Human beings as a group in itself is the audience I’m hoping to engage with this project. The point is to explore how wide varieties of different human communities respond to the same experience. No individual or specific community is any more or less important to me to connect with. The goal is to reach the greatest quantity and variety of communities as possible. I plan to achieve this by bringing the project to them, anywhere in the world, and placing it in their path where they are. By documenting the experience on video, it can be shared everywhere else.

How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100 words) 

In order to accomplish this project as I envision it I will need to broaden my personal network of creative contacts around the world by orders of magnitude. It will provide me with a cause to reach out, build relationships, and engage with the cultures of dozens of far reaching artistic communities. The potential impact of this on both my craft and future career opportunities is immeasurable. This moment is pivotal because I finally feel capable of transitioning away from my common role as a hired performer to establish myself as a content-generating artist in my own right.   

Given Creative Capital’s comprehensive system of support, how would you envision our non-monetary services and resources helping you realize your goals for this project as well as those for your long term artistic and professional growth? (100 words)  

There are many nuanced details to be figured out for this project beyond the money it will take. The knowledge of where and when to perform, the local laws surrounding street performance, support with translation, housing, most efficient means of travel, etc. All of this knowledge will stem from the non-monetary services associated with this program. I believe my long term growth as an artist, both creatively and artistically, relies heavily on the community I’m a part of. It will also grow from the network of interpersonal relationships I continue to develop through participation in programs like this.

What are the main influences on your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists' work, art movements, cultural heritage, work from outside your field, etc. (100 words) 

Most of my prior career has been in puppetry and physical performance which is all on display in Commensal Mischief. I’m also heavily influenced by Jeunet et Caro’s films “Delicatessen” and “City of Lost Children.” Terry Gilliam’s films “Brazil” and “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.” Imago Theater and Jacque LeCoq’s mask performance aesthetic. Mummenschanz and Slava Polunin and the expressive movement styles of De la Guarda and Fuerza Bruta. The radical art movements of Butoh dance in Japan and Dada performance-art in Switzerland. From outside the creative arts: empirical science and experimentation, evolutionary biology, spirituality, animism, and philosophical materialism. 

Prepare a timeline for your project. This should include any anticipated exhibitions, publications, or other public presentations. (200 words) 

2020 (The Year of the Rat) April-October Begin public street performances in New York City to test responses and best practices. 2021 April-May -Analyse the experiences and documentation from the previous year -Determine improvements -Begin preparing the work for global travel June - Creative Capital Artist Retreat July-August -Design and construct new masks/tails for contingency and improvements October-November -Establish detailed travel plan for 2022-2025 -Compile network of contacts for local communities -Design movement/mask/puppetry workshops 2022 April-May Continue public street performances in New York City. June One month travel through Europe 2023 One month travel through Africa and Australia 2024 One month travel through Asia 2025 One month travel through Central and South America 2026 Presentation lecture (potential TED Talk) publicly sharing the experiences, documentation, and research built from the previous years