Photos and score from Things that should not be picked up in the first place: four, held at Jura$$ic Park, Chicago, IL on November 16, 2015.

Things that should not be picked up in the first place: four was created, produced, and directed by Becky Grajeda and performed by Nicholas Davis, Neal Markowski, Jacob Miller, and Grajeda.

Things that should not be picked up in the first place is a series of site-specific performances that use humor, absurd actions, and the displacement of sound to play with an audience's level of discomfort. Each performance begins with Grajeda interviewing another performer and gradually the absurd actions of other performers disrupt and consume the performance.

Mirror Actions_NDavis-BGrajeda_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Pants Action_NDavis-JMiller-BGrajeda_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Pants Action_NDavis-JMiller_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015_1.png

Cigarette-Kazoo Action_NDavis_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Cigarette-Kazoo Action_NDavis-Audience_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015_1.png

Cigarette-Kazoo Action_NDavis-Audience_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

BGrajeda-Audience_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Scream Action_JMiller_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Smiling-Match Action_JMiller_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Smiling-Match Action_JMiller-Grajeda_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.PNG

Cracker Action_BGrajeda_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Cracker Action_JMiller-BGrajeda_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.png

Water Action_NDavis_TTSNBPUIFP 4_11162015.PNG

In Things...four actions were adapted from or inspired by those from the Fluxus movement and the fortieth edition of the Fluxus Performance Workbook. Actions included the following:

Directive for Jake Miller 1 by Becky Grajeda Leave the office space to smoke a cigarette. As you walk through the audience, slowly clasp three audience members’ hands gently and discreetly.