Brood 13 Documentation: Week 7 (7/30 & 31/07)
Monday, July 30 Performance #1: “Visions of Cupcakes”
Documentation written by Alex Fayer (21)
Intentions:
In 2024, I hope to have my comic book series going and be living in Berwyn or Elgin with my dogs.
In 2024, my dad will have quit smoking and have a house with my mom on a lake. I will be able to get along with all my sisters and all four of them will be working toward a prosperous future.
In 2024, I will be surrounded by all my children and all of their new families.
In 2024, holistic health practice is the norm. Addictions and mental illness are understood and effectively treated. Consumerism is on the decline. Mass production of unhealthy foods is a thing of the past. I have lots of my loved ones around me. Education is completely reformed with consideration of the individual being the primary focus. Children are all safe, healthy and happy. The extreme right wing is faded into oblivion. I can eat a lot of cake and not get too fat.
Alex’s self-reflection:
Today was the day I performed my solo. The performance itself has evolved greatly over the last couple of weeks having started life as an idea to symbolize all of the intentions I got as a single scene. What we ended up doing was going to Jewel and buying cupcakes, upon which we drew symbols for each intention. We then handed out these cupcakes to passersby, and we did all this right outside Jewel. Many people liked what we were doing, though many of them couldn’t eat cupcakes. All was going well until the store manager told us in no uncertain terms that we had to leave. We came back to MCC and handed out the rest of our cupcakes in the cafeteria. My favorite part of this whole thing happened while we were packing up. A mother and her daughters, to whom we had given cupcakes, stopped, waved at us, wished us well, and drove away with huge smiles. For me, that made it all worth it.
Monday July 30th Performance #2: “Picnic”
Documentation written by Elizabeth Skalecki (14)
Intentions:
In 2024, we will have found a way to preserve our ozone layer so there is no more greenhouse effect. In 2024, we will have clean water for all to drink. In 2024, every mouth will be fed.
In 2024, my godson Michael will be a healthy, strong, 17-year-old boy.
In 2024 I will live in a smaller house that is easy to clean. I will have more time seeing nature and sharing it with my grandchildren. In 2024 cars will run efficiently on electric and will be affordable to all.
In 2024 I will be surrounded by my husband, 4 children, future spouses, future grandchildren.
I started out by brainstorming what to do and ended up by bringing some of the Barbies that had been collecting dust in my closet. Along with a bandana and a bottle of purified water, Lori brought in some Hot Wheel/Matchbox cars for me to use. I started off my performance by coming in from the trees in front of the pond at MCC, following the pond’s edge. Then I began reciting the intentions that related to the object. First I set down the bandana to act as the picnic blanket, second I put the bottled water in the center, I followed that up by slowly circling the Barbies around the water, then I set out the cars. Then I sat down in the large gap I left between 2 of the Barbies and stared at the bottled water. I stayed in that position until the rest of the group applauded.
Tuesday July 31 Performance #1 “Of Love and Tulips”documentation written by Alex Fayer (21)
Intentions:
I will be living somewhere good and doing what I love.
In 2024, I hope there will be an emphasis placed on romance.
In 2024, tulips will grow on rooftops and walls, decorating the world!
My performance today was an exercise in dealing with complications. I started out trying to plant tulips in a heart shape, but the flower store had no flower bulbs or seeds. I ended up buying fake tulips and a garden stick. I wanted to do this performance in a location tied to theater as one of the intentions dealt with “doing what I love.” I ended up finding a shaded area hidden by bushes behind the schools where I fell in love with acting. I put the tulips in the ground in the shape of a heart with the stick in the middle reading, “If music be the food of love, sing on!” After I finished I got to look in the clearing and the light was beautiful.
Tuesday July 31 Performance #2 “Melting”
documentation written by Selena Lester (14)
Intentions:
I want art all over the cities in the world. I want the eccentric and avant-garde to be recognized and embellished.
In 2024, I will have developed my own artistic style and be known for it.
In 2024 I have transferred the focus of my art from myself to that of my children—the children I hope to raise only as well as my mother did me and my mother will be a happy grandmother.
Today I did a performance about developing individual art skills, making art about children, and the world being covered in art. Since all of them had to do with art, I decided to paint because it is the art medium that I have worked with the longest. I did two paintings. One was an abstract painting, and the other was the earth in space. We were at Lundahl Middle School by the sun and the planets. We all did solos today because today we finished performing all of the intentions. I liked the way my watercolors turned out, even thought it was 93 degrees outside. Overall, it went well.
Tuesday July 31 Performance #3 “Surreal Chalk”
documentation written by Erin Garceau (14)
Intentions:
In 2024, the world will be balanced. We will understand how to use only what we need. And there should be unicorns, because they make people happy.
In 2024 the world will be more eco safe.
Life is found on Mars. The earth is still alive. My sisters and I are happy and content with our lives. Hover cars! Biodomes! Space vacations! I don’t want to live on paper anymore.
Today was the last day of our performances. We finished with a bang. My performance for today went off of 3 intentions all in one category. The intentions were about having a more eco-safe world, life being found on mars, the earth being alive, hover cars, space stations, and happy unicorns.
At first, I had the idea to do it in front of a memorial to Mars. That turned out not to work. So then I relocated to a large patch on the cement. There, I took chalk and created a surrealistic mural that incorporated all of my cards’ ideas. All in all, today’s performance was a great way to end our 7 weeks of Blue Sky.
Tuesday July 31
#4 “Utopian Boats”
documentation written by Elizabeth Skalecki (14)
Intentions:
In 2024, everyone will live in utopia.
Everyone will think for themselves and not be influenced by the media.
In 2024 we are in just one minority group, the same as the majority group.
After a night and a portion of the next morning brainstorming, Nicole and I came up with writing some lyrics from Green Day’s song “American Idiot” into some origami boats along with our visions of a utopia and our ideas of ways in which we all belong to majority and minority groups on little pieces of paper. The origami boats were made and sent to Nicole by Rio Robbins. We drove out to Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Lake, where I spotted a small creek. We then made our way to the creek’s edge and while singing “American Idiot,” we launched the paper boats into the water and watched them go downstream. After that, the four of us piled in the van and went for ice cream to celebrate a job well done!