HERE ME by Amelia Nyla Jakasa, Samantha Lucchetta (stridr). At Tarragon Extraspace. July 9 at 6:30 pm, July 10 at 10:15 pm, July 12 at 4:15 pm, July 13 at 2 pm, July 15 at 12:15 pm. See listing. Rating: NN
Amelia Nyla Jakasa has one request of the audience before her solo performance piece begins: “Please fuck my show up.” It’s a radical proposition that’s never realized in a show that remains conventional despite its ambitions.
Relying heavily on audience participation, Jakasa attempts to convey her deaf identity through wordless methods of communication. But the actions she initiates aren’t dynamic enough to get the audience to respond in compelling ways. Very little happens beyond Jakasa intently gazing at audience members, stripping nude (both are performance art tropes) and borrowing items of clothing.
When, on opening night, one audience member threw a prop at her, she was startled and unsure how to respond, which doesn’t bode well for a performer who encourages her audience to be disruptive.
