The Dope Elf: Organized Around the Erotics of Doing You In
THE LAB, SAN FRANCISCO 2021
Disavowal, disgust, dissociation, delectation and death, the slime nectar of change, are the material of a performance that teeters between a theatrical work and a vigil for theater that can no longer hold our grief. Five actors from the original production of The Dope Elf able to travel during the pandemic convene to eat the sick body of their sprawling film and performance series, a satiric trek through the ordinary enactments of white supremacy, power, and delight in harm. Select parts are of the body are chosen. The belly, the groin, and the armpit are consumed in an agreement to tear at the gelatinous surface that protects actor from character. Asking “Why theater now?” Gawdafful National Theater allows for the seepage of the actors’ lived experience into the theater company’s rehearsed text, risking a theatrical experience that cannot be contained.
Joe Seely. Photo by Deanna Hubartt
Paul Outlaw and Jasmine Orpilla. Photo by Deanna Hubartt.
