CONTACTLESS
Contactless
Contactless is an exploration of platonic intimacy and the many forms of emotional intimacy that exist outside of the limited (and limiting) vocabulary of a heteronormative society - the intense intimacy of friendship and companionship. With so many aspects of pre-pandemic life being stripped away, new priorities have surfaced and those less important elements have been released. Now, our lives turn around that one thing we all long for: connection. Inspired by this search for connection and intimacy, Contactless severs the bond that marries physical and emotional closeness as a subsequent experience.
Through the application of physical theatre principles to non-physical interaction, we will explore the means by which emotional experiences of physical closeness can be replicated, without artificiality; while asking the question: what does the future of love and meaningful connection look like? This question will inherently be explored through the lens of Queerness, Queer friendships and what platonic intimacy looks like in this Queer microcosm.
look like?
What does the future of Love and meaningful connection
Through implementation of the principles of Steve Paxton’s Contact Improvisation, and Michael Chekhov’s principles and exercises such as, “Life Body”, “Conversation of Colours”, “Conversation of Images”, and “Psychological Gesture”. We will explore the many ways in which we can continue to feel, connect, build intimacy, and deepen relationships without the practices of physical contact. By putting these emotional relationship building exercises at the forefront, we will exhibit how physical intimacy has become a crutch - a scapegoat - for deeper connections. That both forms of intimacy (emotional and physical) may coexist as a pair, but also independently; one is not a necessity to the other. From six feet apart we will explore the many ways in which we can feel, be together, listen, learn, and love from a distance; how these supposed hindrances to our relationships can be a blessing.