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Above the Water: A Devised Performance about Grief

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** "Above the Water " is a Story about Love and Loss. **



At what point does loss cause loneliness so vast that you drown in an ocean of despair?
"Above the Water" is a poetic physical theatre piece. This piece utilizes movement and puppetry to delve into the complex emotional landscape of grief. "Above the Water" invites our community to share their poems of loss, which will be used as inspiration for the show. The performance will incorporate poems, movement, and puppetry to express the five stages of grief, thus allowing the audience and performers to walk through the shifting complexities of grief together. After each performance, "Above the Water" will offer an optional movement de-briefing workshop, led by a licensed clinical counselor, which allows the audience to process the emotions that occurred during the show. "Above the Water" is not limited to solely a theatrical experience but also serves as a vehicle to decrease stigmas against sorrow while increasing the universality of the need to grieve, resulting in the expansion of our compassion and empathy for one another.
 
We believe that grief is a human condition, and we all experience loss in our lives. Unfortunately, the topic of grief can be taboo in our society. "Above the Water" is an invitation to dive into the bewildering ocean of despair and comfort our lost selves. Our hope is to explore the depths of love and loss with the community while supporting each other and not diminishing our collective pain. Lastly, we hope to communicate through "Above the Water" that we grieve because we have the power to love deeply.
 
**We want your participation!**
 
"Above the Water" is a show for our community; therefore, we need your participation to make this happen. There are a few ways you can support us:
 
**Support us financially**
 
**Our goal is to raise $ 5,000+**
 
We need money for theatre rental for a week(1,100), equipment rental fee(250), rehearsal space rental(1,500), puppetry material(300), and other material expenses and insurance costs (350). $210 for poster, program printing, and other material expenses. $400 for the post-show movement debriefing workshop. 
 
For the rest of the money, 1,500+, we will split to pay all the artists involved in the project. So the more we get, the more we can pay these incredible artists.
 
Including:
 
Co-Producer: Jaime Gutfeldt
 
Project Leader/Director: Chih-Jou Cheng
 
Puppetry Designer/Puppeteer: Caitlin McLeod
 
Composer: Macy Camille
 
Marketing Director: Gabrielle Confer
 
Lighting Designer: TBD
 
Videographers: Blake Huang & Maximilian Vanderwerf
 
Graphic Designer: Alua Amangeldikyzy
 
Stage Manager, Stage Crews, Multimedia Designer, Photographer
 
**And/Or... Share your stories through poems**
 We are looking for poems expressing grief (specifically the death of a loved one). We would love to share your poems in the theatre.
The show follows the five stages of the grieving process. We are looking for poems that specifically address one of the stages.
 
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

 
 
We genuinely appreciate your support in creating this meaningful project together.
 
Save the dates, share and invite your friends, and we will see you at the theatre! Follow us on Instagram @DawnTheatre to get the latest news and behind-the-scenes looks at the rehearsal process!
 
Performance Info: 11/3 at 8 pm, 11/4 at 8 pm, 11/5 at 8 pm, 11/6 at 3 pm at the Den Theatre in Wicker Park, Chicago.


Organizer

Dawn Theatre Project
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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