project image
Charles Dennis
FAVORITE WAY TO DIE RIGHT NOW, IN THIS ROOM (WORKING TITLE)

first performed on October 18, 2013
BHQF, New York, NY
performed once in 2013

SELENA

New York, NY
drtsky@aol.com
tar-tar.biz

FAVORITE WAY TO DIE RIGHT NOW, IN THIS ROOM (WORKING TITLE)
SELENA

I created this piece in response to a prompt given by Dora Budor to make an artistic work of approximately 1.5 minutes called “Favorite Way to Die Right Now, In This Room (working title).” I was very happy to have the opportunity to use somebody else’s prompt, because otherwise I tend to get overwhelmed by possibilities and never do anything. This assignment was particularly relevant to my life because I often think about dying. I decided the best way to die in this room (which was a classroom) would be to choke quietly in the corner on a hotdog. I generally consider myself a spoken word artist, but I enjoyed the opportunity to begin expanding my practice to include “performance art”; this was an exploration of that, although I am still not entirely sure what “that” is. Either way, it was a relief to have the bulk of the performance be a wordless, purely physical act. I introduced myself and then placed napkins on my lap. I asked the audience to imagine that they couldn’t see me. Then I stuck my index finger straight out and poured a significant amount of ketchup on it. At that point, I began to eat my finger and gradually, steadily choke on it. I applied more ketchup to the finger as needed. After about 1.5 minutes of choking, I announced to the class that I would probably be dead by now because nobody did anything. They were just watching me and laughing but it was a truly joyous death, I have to say.