On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger killed 6 people and injured 13 in a rampage motivated by his lack of success with women. Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble responds with a ritual-performance based on a cycle of found love stories — a meditation on masculinity, love and longing that confronts humanity's common search for love as we misunderstand it.
This piece took the form of a group meditation on toxic masculinity and consumer culture, built around performers' channeling of confessional/shopping YouTube videos and a dating-advice series called the Authentic Man Project.
I staged the piece, co-composed the live score, live-mixed video and sound, and created a custom sound sampler that could be operated by onstage performers' feet.
Created by Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble
performed at Under The Radar Festival, The Public Theater, NYC 2016, PICA:TBA Portland, OR 2016
photos by Maria Baranova