2021–2022

HOW DO I BECOME WE

How Do I Become WE explores the relationship between inner struggle and outward action, between individual and collective transformation, by enacting the folk tale of a woman who is unable to speak a story trapped inside her. Employing a dance-drama framed by participatory dance and ritual, How Do I Become WE follows the woman on the journey to finally telling her story to a wall. A symbol for history, the past, and the community around, the wall hears her.

Along the way, the woman encounters warrior-seekers who help her develop strength. She is also repeatedly interrupted by a guru-trickster who glides in and out making distracting, provocative, and pithy comments about topics including spiritual materialism and Hindu nationalism.

This spectacle is framed by dance which audiences are invited to participate in—calling forth our ancestors and the spirit of Mother Earth to protect and guide.