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above: programs, containing artist bios, Note: 3 of the 4 shows, the dancers were Hannah Ayasse, Annikah Peabody, and Andrew Rose. The Sunday showing featured Anne Kouzmanoff instead of Annikah.

below: Photos credit to Ezra Reaves, The closing night of psychobotany

Photo Credit to Em Reaves

Photo Credit to Em Reaves

Photo Credit to Em Reaves

Below: Videography Credit to Bill Russell, the third night of psychobotany (fun fact, I assembled the overhead projector incorrectly and the lamp didn’t illluminate — I read the manual later and it worked for the closing show, see above– so the layer of shadows is not presented in this showing of psychobotany– still lovely)

Psychobotany, what a trip! It was a logistical challenge to communicate with the dancers and the musicians, and the venue. It was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. There was a challenge of loading in and out in a crowded theatre, in a hard-to-find-parking neighborhood, but we did it!

About SF Fringe: San Francisco Fringe Festival | produced by EXIT Theatre

I entered a lottery to get a show 60 minutes long into a small black box theatre in early spring this year with an inkling of taking ASMR with Katarina (a show I’ve been evolving) and it took on its own life. I was inspired to do a workshop with live music, Making Your Plants Meditate. I then started thinking about the SF Fringe show being about plant consciousness and inspired by a book, The Secret Life of Plants. Working with local composer, David Samas, I learned a lot about collaboration, planning, communication, and adapting based on feedback.

I must confess, I spent a lot of money paying the musicians and I wish I spent more money paying the dancers and I have a ton of lessons to learn about marketing art. Fringe is interesting because it’s self-production, which means you pay a rental/staff fee and you are responsible for marketing, though they had set up the ticketing and box office and assigned me a technician to work the stage lights and sound cues. You can get only so much exposure from being in the festival. I am planning on doing it again next year. It’s a challenge to get people in the door, but I think with the knowledge I have from doing it this year, I can execute better.

All the thank yous are in the program, so I will acknowledge everyone generally here, but I am incredibly grateful for the miracle that is art performed for an audience and it came together when it mattered. Love psychobotany forever.

I don’t know when the next one will be, but I have been thinking somewhere outside in a garden at night. When I can afford it, maybe I’ll get a grant or something. It’s a worthy thing to behold.