Dramaturgy: Atimanyu Vashishth, Farah Aly
Script: Atimanyu Vashishth, Charon Hu, Farah Aly
Art direction: Charon Hu, Farah Aly
Costume: Charon Hu, Farah Aly, Jingxuan Lai, Jieming Lan
Set design: Aya Al Saleh, Neha Bolla, Farah Aly
Choreography and direction: Atimanyu Vashishth
Composer: Charon Hu, Farah Aly
Videography: Farah Aly, Atimanyu Vashishth
Lighting: Atimanyu Vashishth, Charon Hu, Farah Aly
Performers: Atimanyu Vashishth, Charon Hu, Jingxuan Lai, Jieming Lan, Neha Bolla
“Sit down.”
“I sat down.”
“How do you find the new chair? Comfortable?”
“I took note of the newly furnished leather recliner, it has a strong sense of odour left from the tanning process – indicative of newly purchased leather. Judging from the hastily applied stitching, it was constructed with little regard and care.”
“New leather? Very nice.
Did the stitching myself”
“I shift my right hand to the side of the chair that is away from him, and start picking at the stitching on the leather.”
“Let’s begin.
Bit by bit, I started peeling from the leather chair. First, I pick at the end a bit of stitching so it comes loose – from there on, each tiny piece of leather creates openings that allow for larger pieces to come off. Soon enough, I have created a hole the size of my pinkie.”
“Take it from me
The most fool-proof way
To objectify a human,
And be sure;
Is to observe
Their knees.”
“The sound of a circular saw – metal scraping against each other at high speed, producing a high-pitched screech that bounces around the walls of the room. He cuts. I pick away more and more pieces of leather, each piece I peel off creates openings that allow for larger pieces to come off. The bits of leather go from mere specks to the size of nickels. Soon enough, I tear away a hole large enough for my fist.”
“I continued to examine the chair. The flies butted heads in a cloud of fart. There was a whiff of rum in the room, I could smell a bitter saltiness in the air. A fizziness. The bubbles stuck to hair of my nostrils.
My hands were trembling as I tried to peel away pieces of leather. Each piece I peeled off created openings that allowed for larger pieces to come off. I exposed their knee, more and more.
Take it from me
The most fool-proof way
To objectify a human,
And be sure;
Is to observe
Their knees.”
“And before long, I had torn away all the leather from the entire right side of the recliner, exposing the cheap foam underneath. The floor is littered with leather scrapes, just like the floors of a barbershop with freshly cut hair.
My hands were trembling. I couldn’t light the damn match. I thought of lighting the chair on fire.
Excuse me friend!
Friend!
Hmm.
2 minutes please?
Yes?
Friend!”
“They stopped me, in the middle of the street. Or at least they tried to. They had a pamphlet in their hand, maybe a questionnaire. I suspect they were looking at me to make a donation. I waived them off.
I went to the market, and I bought some apricots their favourite. Pumpkins too. But when I ask them, why they haven’t taken a bite yet, they told me they disliked apricots a long time ago, and thought I should have known. But how was I to know?”
“Excuse me sir. 2 minutes please.”
“No.
I don’t wish to save the planet.
I don’t wish to save a tree.
I don’t wish to save some poor bastard.
I don’t wish to save the human infant.
I don’t wish to save the human adult.
Nor do I wish to save someone from cancer.
Stupidity! Is the second kindest thing
to happen to mankind!
Taking a shit is the first.”
“I peeled more and more of the leather. My hands now were stained yellow and red, caked with blood and fat and bits of sinew. I throw it aside and take a scalpel. I felt relieved. It was over. I am a lecher, in a nudist colony for the blind, and Charity is altruistic at best. It is self-gratification, it is a dog licking its own scrotum.”
“You all in the audience seemed appalled, perhaps even confused. Think about it for a second.
The most fool-proof way
To objectify a human,
And be sure;
Is to observe
Their knees.
The place where the knees
Meet the thighs
And the shin.
If that to you
Is aesthetically pleasing
The rest of them
Will be just sublime.
Boom.
I said it.”
