deadbird is part one of #mymannykin friends, a 3-year mixed media performance trilogy holding the complexities of death and dying. a mannequin plays multiple characters, telling stories of near death experiences, pre-death visualizations, and transitions into the afterworld.

the mannequin plays the role of a 50-year-old southern atheist writer, a 95-year-old former teacher living with dementia, and an angsty queer youth questioning their gender and existence. dancers, a musician, and a stage manager shape-shift from television production crew to guardians of an ailing body, eventually welcoming the audience into a participatory ceremonial death ritual.

“this work holds stories of near death experiences as a way to engage audience in conversation about illness and the dying process before a moment of crisis, and to weave in my daily connections with other planes of existence in the spirit world.”

deadbird and can anybody help me hold this body were commissioned and premiered at Danspace Project in 2021 and was a part of the Eureka Commissions Program by Onassis USA. can anybody help me hold this body was presented in New York City with community partner Prospect Park Alliance. the project was created with residency support at YouAreNowhere (NYC), Chocolate Factory Theater (NYC), Snug Harbor Residency (NYC), and Subcircle (ME) with additional support by Foundation for Contemporary Arts. it was awarded by USA Fellowship (2023), Art Matters (2023) and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Merce Cunningham Award (2023)