This piece was a “retrospective” featuring some of my favorite themes, props, costumes, and songs remixed into a mega performance. There were three acts featuring song, dance, and poetry. The performance fragments combined seamlessly to create something entirely new.

Act 1 - The Bunny Hop - Warm Up (2019) - I began the performance with a dedication to Easter. I emerged wearing a fluffy, terrifying bunny mask and danced the traditional bunny hop line dance. I violently tossed out colorful plastic eggs filled with mini donuts and Teddy Grahams.

Act 2 - Ballet of Treats (2016) - For this act, I used “junk foods” including Oreos, Cheetos, and Doritos. I danced the “Swan Lake Waltz” by Tchaikovsky. For the seven and a half minutes, I did an improvised, high intensity dance. The movements were sloppy and awkward because I’m not a trained dancer. I burst open bags of chips and twirled and rolled through the crumbs. The soundtrack, food, and dance blended into a display that was comical, slapstick, and sculptural. The aromas of the snacks filled the air and made the performance atmospheric and immersive.

Intermission - I had a megaphone in one hand and a plastic-wrapped steak in the other and read a prewritten speech to the audience. I have a longstanding performance where I cover my face with a beef steak and sing. “Steak Face” was developed as a coping mechanism to overcome the insecurities I had about performing. I am normally a shy person but when I started to cover my face, I noticed I was able to surpass my limits and sing and dance without shame. I explained that this would be the final time I would be doing steak face because I no longer needed a mask—I had “become the meat.”

Act 3 - Steak Face (2014) - For the final act, I used zipties to cover my face with a slab of raw meat that covered my eyes and mouth. I belted out a muffled rendition of “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. I chose a song that I loved and knew I wouldn’t be able to sing well. I got very worked up during the performance and was scream-singing at times. After holding a long and high note I screamed, “fuck you!” I was able to purge my sadness and frustration with that final yell.