Danse Macabre Part I

by Tatiana Baccari // April 25th, 2022

It’s hard to believe that I (and we) are coming to the end of these blog posts for the year. At the start, I didn’t know how I would fill 20+ blog posts with my own words, words that I wanted to be meaningful, even helpful, to myself and to others. Well, I am not sure if this has been meaningful to the ones reading them, but I can definitely say that writing every week has been deeply meaningful for me. But I’ll save the tear jerking sentiments for my last post.

This week I’m very psyched to tell you a bit about what I am planning for the Creative Pinellas in July. I was able to walk through the Creative Pinellas gallery a couple weeks ago thanks to the generous and kind Danny Olda. When I walked through it, the gallery was a beautiful labyrinth of white walls (although I did get to take a peek at a brilliant sculpture on display), with many exciting possibilities for a non-traditional, immersive performance. 

I’ve been focusing in on one play, Everybody by Braden Jacobs-Jenkins. I first read this play in a directing class with the inimitable Sarah Wansley and it completely blew me away. It was funny and moving and existential and completely aware of itself but also earnest. I have been a fan of BJJ’s work since seeing An Octoroon and am so excited to work on this play, another adaptation. Described as a modern riff on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman, the play follows Everybody (chosen from amongst the cast by lottery at each performance) as they journey through life’s greatest mystery—the meaning of living. This work feels especially poignant to me now, as we continue to live through the pandemic and perhaps have thought about the meaning of life and the consequences of death more than ever before.

I won’t say more on my plans just yet (but don’t worry they are coming!). In the meantime, I’m including some of the images I have been collecting that represent and inspire me to continue working on this play.