Support Artists Making Honeybee Futurism
We are making a humble ask for our community to support the Minneapolis-based artists creating and touring Queen B: A New Work of Honeybee Futurism, an adventurous outdoor musical, to urban-rural green spaces in August-Sept 2021.
Described by Director Harry Waters Jr. as “a fairytale in the future,” Queen B is set 100 years from now - when the climate has become so inhospitable that cities have sealed themselves underneath holographic domes for survival. When the robo-bee population begins to die off like their honeymaking ancestors, the fate of this new society rests on the last living beekeeper, a (former?) revolutionary who goes by Queen B.
Reimagined by a diverse and multi-talented hive of artists in Minneapolis 2021, Queen B wrestles with what kind of future we want to create for ourselves moving forward using our own trajectories of healing as a guide. We hope that this show will offer artists and audiences a shared space to honor our losses and celebrate the sweetness of life.
This show is being produced by individual artist Elle Thoni under the queer ensemble name of Wild Conspiracy. Without access to organizational resources and with a commitment to keeping ticket prices low enough to be financially accessible, we are grateful for any contributions that will:
- Pay artists. Over 75% of our budget is going directly towards artists, many of whom lost creative gig work during the pandemic and hold one or more marginalized identities. We believe that paying artists is an essential part of the world we are trying to create.
- Cover an increase in touring costs due to COVID-19. Originally, our local partners agreed to find homestays for artists, a reality that no longer feels in sync with COVID-19 considerations. Your contributions will go towards paying for housing, transportation and food costs for artists on the road.
- Support us in giving a final homecoming performance at Robert's Lot along Lake Street on Dakota land in Minneapolis. It feels important for our Twin Cities-based cast to have a chance to be witnessed by their own community, and to send some healing energy to our beloved Lake Street. We are honored to have been invited to perform in this space as a part of the Futures Now Festival and intend for it to be a pass-the-hat show with ASL Interpretation.
Other ways you can support the Queen B hive ---
- Experience the show! Ticket information is here
- Share through social media or word-of-mouth.
Thank you for supporting queer ensemble performance that bridges the urban-rural divide. We couldn't do this work without you.
Love & Honey,
Elle, and the Queen B Hive
Video by Maxwell Collyard with music by Dameun Strange. For Closed Captioning, please view video on YouTube.
Performance clips from premiere production in 2019 at Tamales y Bicicletas Urban Farm on Dakhóta land in Minneapolis, MN. Originating cast includes Lelis Brito, Ricky Morisseau, Ohr Levinson, Scotty Reynolds, EstefaníaSedarski, and Commarrah Jewelia Yochanan. Big love to the flowers, the bees, and all who tend them.
