#PLEASED to Meet You, Santa Fe!

In just a matter of days, the Spidercrew will be heading out to Santa Fe for a tour of the Meow Wolf facilities and to put on one badass, highly-collaborative new production at a rad DIY space just across the street from MW called Ghost. We couldn’t be more excited to bring this showcase across state lines and into the New Mexico desert. A lot of time, energy, and creative juju has helped make this one of our most ambitious productions yet, one Spiderwed notwithstanding!

Before we hit the road, we wanted to give more insight into this production and all the people involved. We’ve posed a few questions to the accompanying crew so that you can glimpse a little of the work and thought that has helped make #PLEASED a reality.

First off, who is all involved?

Many of our editorial team, regular volunteers, and frequent performers are a part of the adventure, blending their unique sensibilities into this collaborative tapestry. Like every event, workshop, or happening we put on, new spiderfriends and forever spiderfriends come together to create and collectively witness something brilliant take place.

Our tech team is led by our amazing web admin, Nina Chantanapumma, and production assistant, Chris Taylor.

*Like all of us, Nina is #PLEASED to head to Santa Fe soon!*

Chris: “I am primarily a theatre artist and writer rooted in a fringe aesthetic. I love work that shows that shows the fingerprints of the creator and engages the audience in the current moment. The first time I performed with Spiderweb was at the 1 year anniversary show and since then, I've been involved as a performer, emcee and production assistant.”

Nina: “I'm here to help!” (This is an understatement, Nina!)

Alex Stock is also coming along and bringing some impressive sculptures both new and old (with upgrades!) to the Spiderweb/Ghost stage.

Sarah Ruth of many DFW musical projects: “I'm a multi-instrumental musician that performs various styles, but mostly steeped in extended technique/avant-garde. I've been very grateful to be included in many Spiderweb productions over the years and have made many connections I wouldn't have otherwise been able to form.”

Throughout the production, Sarah Friday’s “feminist performance art centering the body” will weave together the disparate parts. There is a rumor there will also be cake.

It's necessary to mention that Spiderweb Salon is more than just the people going on this trip, but a vast and intricate network of passionate and awesome individuals committed to working together to make beautiful things happen.

For this project specifically, we are truly thankful for the many friends who helped out and participated throughout months of plotting and planning: Matthew Long and his band voltREvolt lent their music to the final scene, Corbin Childs of Shiny Sound Recording Studio spent a whole morning with talented musicians Roberto Glasgow and Kamaron Black recording a track for a special performance, Matthew Sallack sewed us a very special apron and is watching courtney marie's cats while we're out of town, Andi Harman designed the fantastic posters, Conor Wallace created the opening soundscape, made possible by his ongoing poetry productions for KUZU Djs with local poets, including Maureen Leak, Ryan Creery, and Sethnicity. Other contributions of time, energy, emotional support, and cake include the likes of Caitlin Childs, Bess Whitby, Storie Cunningham, Sebastian Paramo, Geoff Ussery, Anna Marsden, Paul Koniecki, Reverie Evolving, Taylor Teachout, Claire Thedford, Tim Hurley, Naomi Kliewer, plus of course all our supporters on Patreon and buddies who continue to believe in us and hype our work as we evolve. We love all of you and are ever-grateful!

So, what does #PLEASED mean to us?

#PLEASED is representative of the creative process in this showcase. Each performer is bringing their own concept of creation and their own sense of creative pleasure to the show. We all know these things don't come without struggles, but things like fear and doubt shouldn't overshadow our capacity to have a good time, speak our truths, and love one another. To be pleased.

What symbol(s) do you associate with #pleased?

Sarah Friday: “Cake.”

Fatima-Ayan Malika Hirsi (poet and founder of Dark Moon Poetry and Arts): “Movement of the body/sound/energy.”

*Co-founder courtney marie can barely contain how #PLEASED she is for the chance to take this trip with so many dear friends.*

Chris Taylor: “Pleased, for me, isn't so much about a perfect product. I prefer to see the process in the final product.”

Sarah Ruth: “A sprouted garden.”

courtney marie: "Anything that grows, changes, evolves. A forest of trees or a hive of bees."

When's the last time you were #PLEASED?

Sarah Ruth: “Coming home from a 2 and 1/2 week tour where I got to play some awesome shows and see friends across the country including a friend in Chicago I met via Spiderweb.” (shoutout to Chelsea Fiddymont!)

Narrative photographer, Kristina Smith, views #PLEASED as “sharing in love, abundance, and joy” which helps explains why she last felt “very #pleased” at her brother’s wedding.

Both Nina and Chris find pleasure in the pursuit of an goal than in the end product itself…

Nina: “I carved out time on a Saturday morning to be productive, yet allowed myself to be distracted. That combination left me #PLEASED.”

Chris: “I work with middle school students so even when they perform their work, I find that level of pleased that I associate with my own creative pursuits.”

*SarahFriday, Joanna Lugo, and Anna Marsden getting real #PLEASED.*

How does #PLEASED represent creativity?

This production is made up of all different kinds of creative talents. As you may have gleaned, we have artists, writers, musicians, performance artists, photographers, programmers, and videographers all coming together onstage. Each of us brings their own relationship to creativity to their part of the showcase.

How would you describe your own creative process?

Fatima-Ayan Malika Hirsi: “Night, weed, quiet, prayer, spirits: I leave this world and come back with words from somewhere else.

Alex Stock: “My creative process can be stressful or manic but mostly involves me working calmly while listening to podcasts. If there’s a deadline it might look more like me working a few days without sleep.”

courtney marie: "A constant gathering of materials and ideas. Obsessing over something until it happens. Working too hard, overthinking, collaborating. I like to get my hands dirty. Take the scenic route every chance I get. Lots of coffee and vodka."

Sam Cook: “Fits and starts. A sandwich I only eat half of and then I leave it in the fridge and it goes bad.”

*Alex Stock and Sarah Ruth are super #PLEASED.*

What’s waiting for us?

In addition to performing, the Spidercrew will be spending the weekend out in the desert, and if you ask us, the desert is the perfect locale for finding things both physical and metaphysical.

What do you hope to find in the desert?

Kristina Smith: “I want to connect and love each of you and take all y'alls portraits and share in the possibility and adventure”

Sam Cook: “A cool bug.”

Fatima: “An entry to a piece of myself I haven’t met yet. Stronger connections to good people. Desert faeries.”

courtney marie: “The answer to a question I haven’t thought to ask yet.”

Nina: “Clarity, connection, and something to drink.”

Amen, couldn’t have said it better. And with that, we look forward to meeting you, Santa Fe, and learning what makes you #PLEASED.

Written by Sean Enfield, edited by courtney marie