Why We Can't Just Put the Lights Up; Amongst other things

I've had this idea for about 7 years to create a choreopoem about some of my life experiences. At the time, I didn't have the language to articulate my dream as a choreopoem. I knew I wanted two characters with two stories trying to exist in one space. There had to be dancing, some poems, a ton of honesty on my part, and music by Moses Sumney.

After years of journaling, I sat down last year and started an affinity map. I figured if I could get all my thoughts onto sticky notes and group them somehow, maybe I could begin to see a show form. The Sticky Notes Project, as I called it then, became the foundation of Why We Can't Just Put the Lights Up.

What's this show about?

Journey with Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate’s Thoughts as they navigate living in the backdrop of capitalism, love, and loss. They're learning to let go of their past and stay in the present while working towards a future. Is what happens to a dream deferred all that can happen to it? And they’re doing this within 500sqft of space.

What's a choreopoem?

A choreopoem is a story combining the mediums of poetry, dance, music, and song. The experience doesn't revolve around a specific plot as much as it aims to invoke an emotional response from its audience. You can read more about them here.

Scraps from the Halloween centerpiece project will be used to build a mock stage for the show. I'll use this to model staging and scene ideas for the piece. Of course, I'll be 3D printing set pieces and characters, so stick around for that.