bathtime?

Bathtime? was an immersive performance art experience desi

designed to interrogate the intersections of identity, power dynamics, and the nature of performance itself.

Centered around a 250lb cast-iron clawfoot bathtub as both a sculptural and symbolic centerpiece, the project explored themes of vulnerability, self-perception, and artistic agency through nine interconnected scenes. The performance incorporated movement, music, and visual elements, creating a fluid and boundary-pushing narrative.

The preparation process was as significant as the final performance. Through a series of collaborative "laboratory" sessions, participants—musicians, dancers, and visual artists—engaged in open-ended improvisation and reflection. These sessions provided a space to experiment with movement, sound, and dialogue, addressing questions such as:

What is a performing body?

Who is encouraged to perform, and in what ways?

Guided by participant feedback and advisor input, the project evolved from an open-ended exploration into a structured, multi-scene performance. This intentional shift balanced creative freedom with a clear narrative structure, enabling the project to effectively communicate its themes.

Performance Highlights:

Central Visuals: The bathtub, mirrors, a mic’d bucket of water, and a morph suit emphasized themes of self-perception and embodiment.

Collaborative Elements: Performers moved fluidly between roles, dissolving distinctions between onstage and backstage, performer and audience.

Conclusion: A deeply emotional group improvisation featuring Wang and the collaborators, culminating in a shared harmony that symbolized the project’s communal essence.

Key Themes:

Challenging traditional performance hierarchies and dynamics.

Centering consent, inclusivity, and vulnerability.

Exploring identity through embodied, collaborative practices.

Audience Engagement:

The performance concluded with an open discussion and further improvisation, inviting the audience to engage with the project’s themes and processes.

Significance:

Rooted in Wang’s lived experience as a gender- and racially-ambiguous artist navigating the classical music world, bathtime? sought to reclaim artistic agency and redefine performance norms. It fostered a brave space for participants and audience members alike to question the intersections of identity, power, and art.

Press and Feedback:

“An unforgettable, collaborative community of trust, safety, consent, and creative joy.” – Miri Verona, FSM.ink

The performance was met with resounding applause and described as a transformative artistic experience.

Advisors: Margaret Paek, Loren Dempster, Sonja Downing

Participants/performing artists: Lorcan Baxter, Alex Debello, Rebecca Page-McCaw, Jonah Sharp, Miri Villerius, Layna Wang