Philly, WUSSY, Sixty, DUSK: 4 Updates for Now
Friends and strangers,
A good thing happened this week and I know the high of that will only last a short time, so I’m riding it a little longer to share with you 4 updates I’m feeling grateful for on this Friday afternoon.
#1: Filming the last day at Links Hall
Links Hall is closing. If that doesn’t mean anything to you: tl;dr a nearly 50-year-old major arts institution in Chicago that has supported generations of experimental performance makers, a place that was a creative home for me and so many others, that launched a lot of folks’ careers or new phases of their creative practice, and is sort of in the category of “can’t imagine Chicago without it,” is closing because philanthropy doesn’t know how to step the fuck up. Tomorrow they’re throwing a final-weekend party/funeral/performance marathon to honor and mark the closing. Should be a powerful moment in a difficult context.
I proposed to Links’ current executive director SK Kerastas that someone should document the day and make a film out of it, and SK was foolish enough to grant me the blessing of attempting to do so. I’m very grateful that long-time collaborators and general video gods Spence Warren, Bea Cabrera, and Jane Jerardi will be working their magic behind the cameras, with pinch-hit assistance from additional film superstars Paul Scudder and Sean Rafferty, who Links had already brought on for livestream and archival collaboration.
If you’ll be at DUSK tomorrow, stop by the Confessional/Interview Booth or find the Floater cam and share your wildest memories, strongest feelings, and juiciest but most respectfully redacted stories.
I’m really looking forward to spending the moment in community with folks, and while I don’t know whether the footage we get will amount to much, we’ll do our best to fix it in post.
#2: Cosmic Docks covered in Sixty Inches from Center
Late last month, midwest arts publication Sixty Inches from Center published Rachel Lindsay and Corey Smith’s essay about the premiere of Cosmic Docks this spring at the Dance Center. I’m really grateful to Rachel and Corey for their investment and thoughtfulness.
I often get frustrated with arts writing/responses because I find that description alone doesn’t do a lot for me if I didn’t see the work (or sometimes even if I did). I skim through the carefully wrought descriptive sentences seeking the spear underneath. I want to know how the work functions, what it does to people, or did to you. And yes, I also want an opinion, a hot take! Which I know we’re all hesitant to say out loud in small intimate arts communities where we care about each other’s careers and don’t want to offend people. Which, to be clear, I think are generally healthy impulses with positive outcomes! Just sometimes I want you to tell me how you really feel.
Anyway - I thought Corey and Rachel did a nice job with this kind of how-does-the-thing-function-and-what-does-it-DO-to-you type shit, and I really appreciate that. Read it here! They also covered Po’Chop’s show THICK from Spotlight Festival as well - read about that fantastic work here. And scroll down for more Cosmic Docks updates :)
#3: Interview with Leslie Cagan in WUSSY Vol. 14
I’ve loved WUSSY Mag’s humorous internet presence and quality politics and culture coverage for many years, so I was thrilled that they accepted my pitch for an interview with queer activist and elder Leslie Cagan, which is coming out in their new volume published TODAY! Leslie is a dear friend and absolute icon of queer history. We got to know each other doing election protection work in 2020, and in addition to laughs and strolls and dyke marches and good stories over the years, I’ve learned so much from her over the years about living and collaborating as a leftist, some of which you can get a taste of in our interview. The piece is not online but you can order a print a copy of WUSSY Vol. 14 here.
Last but not least…
#4: Cosmic Docks is going on tour - first stop Philly!
That’s right! Since the March premiere of my dance-theater-comedy solo show Cosmic Docks in Chicago, I’ve been working behind the scenes to put together both a local remount and a 2025-2026 tour. More dates and details to come, but for now, super excited to share that Cosmic Docks will play at the Cannonball Festival in Philadelphia on Friday, September 5 at 9:30pm and Saturday, September 6 at 5pm. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, so I’ll send more links and details once they are, but if you’re in Philly or you’ve got people there, please save the date or spread the word!
Okay, last but not least (the photo is irrelevant; I just needed a topic break):
My beloved barber of 6+ years, Jess, also known as Quiet Cake (her sick punk band), was recently diagnosed with health stuff that will bring financial hardship due to our bullshit ass country and health insurance ecosystem. If you’ve got it, support a good human here.
That’s all for now - stay cool and keep giving,
Nora