Theater in Asylum presents
A night of performance to survive, resist, and reverse the end of the world.
The How to Survive the End of the World Cabaret
November 1-2, 2024
The Jalopy Theater, Brooklyn
24 artists (5 groups) commissioned to create new work we need
The Jalopy Theater, Brooklyn
24 artists (5 groups) commissioned to create new work we need
Info for artists:
The Prompt:
It may seem like the list of things that will end the world grows each day, but artists can be the first line of resistance and adaptation. This cabaret is something of a first aid kit for the soul. What should we do in the face of climate destruction? Of war spreading all around? Of the tech take-over of all things? Of a dangerous former president’s possible return to power? Each group should choose a threat and create a performance that offers a means of/path to survival. We resist nihilism because we know that the only certain world-ender is the belief that we’ve already lost. So, how do we survive the end of the world?
The Assignment:
Create a short theater piece that takes on a potential world-ender and how to survive it. Any world-ender and any response is valid. We just ask creators to resist nihilism.
Pieces should be:
It may seem like the list of things that will end the world grows each day, but artists can be the first line of resistance and adaptation. This cabaret is something of a first aid kit for the soul. What should we do in the face of climate destruction? Of war spreading all around? Of the tech take-over of all things? Of a dangerous former president’s possible return to power? Each group should choose a threat and create a performance that offers a means of/path to survival. We resist nihilism because we know that the only certain world-ender is the belief that we’ve already lost. So, how do we survive the end of the world?
The Assignment:
Create a short theater piece that takes on a potential world-ender and how to survive it. Any world-ender and any response is valid. We just ask creators to resist nihilism.
Pieces should be:
- Well thought out, fully-staged, compelling, insightful and inciteful.
- off-book if at all possible
- 10ish minutes
- Clear in what the world-ender it’s addressing is
- Not nihilistic
- Created and/or performed by up to 4 people total
- Minimal or self-contained in its tech. We will have someone at the light/sound-board but cues should be minimal and easy to learn. For more complicated cueing, consider self-operated tech (think clip lights and tape-recorders on the stage, operated by the actors)