What does it mean to lip-sync? Is it to mimic, or rather, to represent? Through my performance-based work, presented as part of the 2019 Leslie-Lohman Queer Theatre and Performance Residency, I explored the action of lip-syncing as a strategy for embodying not only the physical movements of something already performed, but also the transfer of ideas through the contextual undertones of that which is re-presented.

Through the weaving of two particular moments in history—the passing of Hurricane María through the island of Puerto Rico in 2017 and the many ACT UP protests across the US during the height of the AIDS crisis in the late 80s and early 90s—”Unearthing Through Many” seeks to explore the construction of a queer, historic heritage, through voices from the past that must be embodied in the present now more than ever. If the body becomes the container of a historic legacy, how can strategies of surrogacy be expanded through the repertoires and actions that have been embedded in queer culture for a lifetime?

My face is covered with a blue tarp mask, which became a recognizable symbol in Puerto Rico after hurricane María. These tarps were given by FEMA to people who had damage to their houses, following the 2017 natural disaster. Lots of houses on the island still have these tarps, even three years after the hurricane. While I cover my face, I leave my mouth exposed, so my lip-syncing becomes the focal point of visibility.