Chicago, IL
Body of the State In Chicago
Francis Miller performs their performance piece Body of the State ten times in two days.
In this unique durational performance event, Francis Miller performs their performance piece Body of the State ten times in two days. When audiences enter the space, they are provided a paper ballot and five choices which control the shape of Body of the State. This audience control and the many repetitions of performance guarantee that each performance will be remarkably different from one another. Come for one show, stay for all; witness the Body of the State. Body of the State is an immersive solo performance piece that explores one person’s pursuit of gender-affirming care, theatricalizing their experience of gender, bureaucracy, community and how it feels to exist in a body that is regulated and legislated by their own government. In Body of the State, the audience is given control of Miller’s performance and body as they wield the familiar and formidable tool of American legislature and healthcare; paperwork.
Audience Role
This audience control and the many repetitions of performance guarantee that each performance will be remarkably different from one another.
Ages: 21 +
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3
Years on EI
About Francis Miller
ARTISTIC STATEMENT I create performances that are windows, not mirrors. My work has no interest in providing representation or catharsis to the masses. I perform for those who are not historically represented in traditional performance and the well-made play. I invite audiences to peek in and experience the isolation, horror and triumph that comes with living a life that is despised and unsupported by modern government and society. I perform on behalf. My physical appearance, endurance and fortitude assist in expressing the insurmountable difficulty of the queer and transgender experience while simultaneously preparing modern audiences to view more transgender bodies in performance. My work is often physically grueling and therefore challenging of the traditional audience-performer relationship. Audiences view my transgender-nonbinary body experiencing exertion, and they are often moved and compelled to intercede or participate. Repetition, duration and form are often exploited and mutilated to continually force the audience to question their role as passive viewer. My work asks; what gives you the right to witness my body in performance? This altered, othered, body that is so often mistaken or disregarded? Why now? By viewing my visibly queer body in performance, audiences are often titillated, confused or fascinated by the the access they have been granted, as the transgender body is a topic of major fascination and scrutiny. I manipulate this human curiosity to urge audiences to consider the part they play in oppression of the queer community. My performances are specifically and meaningfully exclusive, and that exclusion offers opportunity.