Queens. a performance by Ruby Amanze and Wura Ogunji
Saturday, May 11
Bar Beach 2-6pm
The
performance 'Queens' was developed and inspired by the following
writing from Ruby Amanze.
I think about
worship. What it means to worship something or someone. I think about
worshiping oneself. Being god-like somehow. I see a throne. Women
can’t sit on those here. But what if? And a crown. Something about
wrapping your hair with one of those traditional, elaborate, crunchy
fabric headwraps. But the fabric is super long. Awkwardly long and
maybe heavy. And the wrapping takes forever and makes your arms
tired. And then your head gets a little wobbly as a result of the
weight. But it’s still a crown. Somehow. An invisible one because
there is no actual fabric. Just the action of wrapping. OR an actual
super long fabric. Maybe long enough for two people to wrap their
heads at the same time from the same fabric. Like a mirror. Or
someone else to wrap your head? Either way, at the end you still
manage to balance yourself. Delicately. But with some obvious strain.
There is an elevation of sorts. A ladder? A step? Being prostrate is
such a beautiful position to be in sometimes. A way to worship
something higher…or lower, like the earth. I think about a woman
that has a boy inside of her. But I’m not sure how to show that
visually. Maybe the wrapping is done by a boy? There is something
about a visual balance. Confict. Duality. The chief eve is part boy.
Graceful but choppy. Abrupt. Heavy. Delicate. Women here are all
woman. It’s all or nothing. Yes and no. Black and white. But what
of a diluted woman? A slightly less woman concentration but still
capturing the gentleness. The fluidity. The ability to seduce. And to
kill.
So in summary: Queen. God. Worshiping
self. Elaborate heavy crown. No crown at all. No one worshiping.
Duality. Harmony. Dilution. Balance. Graceful. Choppy. Abrupt.
Awkward. Delicate. Boy inside woman. Elevation. Prostrate.
***
