Orchid Flotilla

Inspired by a trip to the sinking Sunderban Islands in India and Bengladesh, work began in 2008 on The Orchid Flotilla. A gestural theatre and shadow puppetry performance, which also incorporates body puppetry, object manipulation, and live sound amplification, it explores several convergent themes: the human capacity to overcome ecological disaster; the transformative power of companionship (real or imagined); and the usefulness and uselessness of the manufactured objects we depend upon.

First presented in 2010 at Salisbury University for the International Association for Environmental Philosophy's conference "Geo-Aesthetics in the Anthropocene", The Orchid Flotilla is a deeply meditative piece, punctuated by humorous moments that acknowledge the universal struggle inherent in the human condition. The story unfolds over five "days" from sunrise to sunset and spans 13 years of the woman's life. During the "nighttime" sequences, shadow puppets and human shadows in the canopy of the flotilla reveal further details about the inner workings of the woman's mind, heart, memory, and hopes.