HOW
TO GET
FREE
A SONG OF LIBERATION
✦
A SONG OF LIBERATION ✦
“I’m not so interested in how they move as in what moves them.”
- Pina Bausch
HOW TO GET FREE is…
A three-act ritual that leads the audience through three distinct worlds, revealing how our contemporary lives bear striking parallels to the enduring curses of Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Narcissus; from one of today's most exciting storytellers: Christopher Rivas.
BUT WHY NOw?
We have an incredible ability to forget, to see what we want to see, to look past the suffering thrown upon others and not ourselves. Until we see our own demise, it doesn't really resonate that we too are running out of time to stop what's coming.
These 3 curses: A man pushing a rock up a hill, someone left thirsty & hungry for an eternity, and a narcissist drowning himself over and over again are not fables, but rather vital relentless lessons to right now, unearthing the truth that we are running out of time to not learn from them, and set ourselves free.
How To Get Free is a ritual of Liberation. A song of strength to get through.
STORY OVERVIEW
ACT 1: SISYPHUS
ACT 1: SISYPHUS
Sisyphus Pushes a boulder up a hill over and over again with the delusion that at some point things might change. We’re in control of our stories and bound to them all at the same time.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Sisyphus is explored through the lens of a therapy session where the Performer is constantly flooded by the memories of a relationship, replaying them over and over again.
MEDIA/AUDIENCE INTERACTION:
The text is handed to the audience as a therapist hand written notes. A wall of analog tape recorders in the environment serves as the cage of memories that haunt the performer. The audience is invited to take part in the compulsive replaying of memory fragments.
ACT 1 WORKSHOP SAMPLE
Below is a video taken during a workshop of Act I at CultureHub.
I too feel like cousin Greg sometimes. Doing anything to get a piece of the pie that has been tantalizing me my whole life.
ACT 2: TANTALUS
ACT 2: TANTALUS
Tantalus was a king who was constantly invited to have dinner on Mount Olympus with the gods, at this dinner, he was given everything but the wine and desert. Until he stole it to share it with the world and was forever punished.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Tantalus is explored through the ways society continually dangles the carrot of more more more, the gospel of endless growth in front of us, and the lengths we will go to in order to get a piece of that dream. A culture constantly tantalizing us with media, hustle culture, lies, and society telling us what we should achieve and how we should be in order to be "successful."
Media/Audience Interaction:
The audience is in a boardroom and The text is handed to them in the form of a Pitch Deck. the text can also be read in the form of a constant stock scroll all around them.
.
ACT 2 WORKSHOP SAMPLE
Below is a video taken during a workshop of Act 2 at Harlem Stage.
I drown myself because I forget.
ACT 3: Narcissus
ACT 3: Narcissus
Narcissus, in love with his own image, was unable to see or hear anyone around him in need. We are all a bit narcissistic in this way, all the self-drowning we take part in, in order to continue to be such an active consumer, in order to watch Chef’s Table and Top chef, while outside people are hungry. Each of us drowning out what we don’t wanna face.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Narcissus is explored through the lens of content. Each audience member is at the center of the barrage of things to consider and get right on a daily basis in today's content filled world where we order from Amazon while the Amazon burns.
MEDIA/AUDIENCE INTERACTION:
The audience is confronted up close with the inundation of media. They can watch the flood of images that force us to decide whether we will look at the truth and suffering head on, or turn it off, turn a blind eye, and drown ourselves like Narcissus did in love with his own selfie.
.
ACT 3 WORKSHOP SAMPLE
Below is a video taken during a workshop of Act 3 at ASU, Mix Center.
CREATIVE TEAM
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Creator, Writer, Actor
Christopher Rivas is quickly becoming one of the most sought after multi-hyphenates as an actor, author, podcaster, and storyteller. Chris’s mission is to tell stories that create spaces of belonging while disrupting traditionally white spaces. His book Brown Enough, explores what it means to be Brown in America - part memoir and part social commentary, it is a roller coaster of finding one's true self while simultaneously having a racial awakening amidst the struggle to be "perfectly" Latinx, woke, and as Brown as possible to make it in today's America.
He also has an overall deal with SiriusXM's Stitcher, where he created and hosts two podcasts: Brown Enough, which explores the parallel themes of his book through interview-style episodes; and Rubirosa, a 10-episode documentary-style investigation of Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican diplomat, race car driver, soldier and polo player who is believed to be the inspiration for the famous character ‘James Bond’.
This project was developed off of Chris’s solo show, The Real James Bond Was Dominican. On screen, Rivas has been on many TV shows, and is best known for his work on the Fox series, Call Me Kat, opposite Mayim Bialik, Kyla Pratt, and the late Leslie Jordan. He is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Expressive Arts for Global Health & Peace Building from The European Graduate School and a Rothschild Social Impact fellow. Rivas resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Visit his websitewww.christopherrivas.com
Instagram: @christopher__rivas
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Director
Matt is an award-winning multi-disciplinary storyteller interested in creating rich evocative worlds; the intersection of technology, design, & storytelling; and crafting works that help us to find light in the dark.
In this pursuit, Matt works as a director, writer, and designer for film, theatre, live events, and new media. His projects range from the gamification of concept cars for Toyota to recreating history in VR; from directing film to designing massive interactive activations; Matt has worked as a concept artist for games, a comic book artist, and a storyboard artist; he has designed puppets, sets, and video projections for theatre, concerts, and operas, and he has created immersive experiences for Hollywood's biggest studios and IPs. Matt has served as an artist-in-residence with the National Theatre of Croatia, with the Getty Foundation, and the Annenberg Foundation. His work has been shown in dozens of countries on six continents. Additionally, Matt spent ten years as the Associate Artistic Director for Rogue Artists Ensemble and remains an Ensemble Member.
Matt’s work has garnered praise and numerous awards, including six CLIO Awards, multiple BizBash Awards, two Ovation Awards (and an additional five nominations), a StageRaw Award, an LA Weekly Award, and both the Kairos & Chronos Prizes in screenwriting, among others. He has designed over a dozen Silver and Bronze Telly Award-winning campaigns. In 2020, he directed The Alienist: Angel of Darkness virtual event for TNT + Little Cinema Digital. It won the BizBash Award for Best Virtual Event and was a double WEBBY Honoree for Best Narrative Experience and Best Audience Interaction. Also in 2020, he developed, co-directed, and co-wrote Blumhouse Live for Amazon Prime Video + Blumhouse + Little Cinema which was nominated for an EMMY for Outstanding Interactive Program.
In January 2023, Matt wrote and directed the Disney 100 Live Broadcast, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Disney Company. Also in 2023, Matt’s feature film debut, Resistance: 1942, was nominated in five categories at the 2023 Movieguide Awards, winning Best Film for Mature Audiences.
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Producer
TBD