Theater of Dust: Act 1: Witness 

Performance (Body, Music and Dust), 2024

Music: Reza Filsoofi

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The first act of The Theater of Dust was created to critically engage with the global political shifts following the U.S. election on November 5, 2024. Inspired by Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, this performance critiques the unfolding of what once seemed a distant dystopian future, now made present through political decisions, societal neglect, and environmental degradation. The erosion of values, principles, and trust has led to human displacement, societal destruction, and wars. In this act, breath reveals hidden texts beneath layers of clay dust, blowing away the obscuring rhetoric to uncover a space for reflective consideration of policies and actions. With each hopeful breath, the possibility for renewal and transformation expands, diverting us from the path toward a dystopian reality.

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​​The Theater of Dust: Act:1 Witness, in Parable of the Now curated by Quinn Alexandria Hunter, presented by the Institute for the Humanities in collaboration with Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, the U‑M Arts Initiative, and Stamps School of Art and Design.

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