We all lose things, Bird. And we all know it isn't fair.
The Etiquette of Loss is a play about people who lose things. In my life, I have lost a lot of things. I am sure you have, too. But I have also found a lot of things. I am also sure you have, too.In the play, Bird runs a tailor shop called “Fender/Mender.” She describes herself as a mender, taking the parts that don’t fit and pulling them together to make something whole again. Her friend Ash is a self-described fender, seeking out those things that need to be fixed wherever they may be.
The Fender/Mender Project is an opportunity to communally enact two of the play’s essential actions: fending and mending. We all lose: things, time, people, ourselves. This project is an attempt to:
- collect, record and catalog our losses (FEND)
- change the sum of all of those losses into something different (greater?) than each individual lost part (MEND)
If you’re interested in participating in the Fender/Mender Project, the first thing to do is get in touch! Send me an email at the4thabyss@gmail.com and we’ll set up a time to meet where the following happens:
- Please bring (in your thoughts) something you’ve lost and (in your hands) a small piece of fabric—a few inches of scrap will do.
- I will record your loss, which will be cataloged and represented by the piece of fabric I collect from you.
- I will then ask you to recite a verse of the Declaration of Loss, an excerpt from The Etiquette of Loss, which will be audio recorded and presented on this blog as more and more of our losses join forces to create something else entirely.
