Thomas Choinacky on Soleil Kohl

Dear Soleil-

As I walked into the theater you were deep in a dysfunctional dance that flipped through a mix of physically exhausting pedestrian gestures. I quickly caught on to this as the “hold” or “waiting” button similar to a video game start screen. As you riled around I became concerned about your knees, so many collapses to the floor! I was relieved to see your kneepads later. I had a show that destroyed my knees many years ago, so I have to be soft. I hope you are soft on your body after your performances. I admired your limberness. Starting a show with this physical intensity would lead me to immediately be gasping and drinking a ton of water, but for you/ Daisy this is go time and we needed you to save us/ humanity.

I was amused by the array of objects splayed on the ground which were tools for your narrative. There is a similarity between our two shows in the secret meaning to ordinary objects. So it excited me to see how you manipulated tape measures and plushies to capture so much imagination, surprise, and significance.

I’m awed by your skill of improvisation to the unknown and unexpected. We, the audience, had a level of control to your show and you were cheerfully prepared for any object or twist that was yelled out in your performance. How are you managing all the variables?! Your ability to not be precious and flow or jerk in response to the audience is such a feat.

I don’t need narrative in my performances so I think I could have just watched the “opening sequence” over and over. But this is a multiplayer game and we were moving as a collective and we needed to be equipped. Which led to a surprising poignancy within the humorous world that you created. Even though Daisy was doing this alone, she really wasn’t; Daisy needed the audience. It took all of us to decide together. And this heart to your show was moving for me. Indeed it takes a collective, an audience, a community to play the game and save the world. So thank you for making your sprightly Daisy. Because I and we need Daisy in this day and age- someone who is adaptable, sharp, creative, and resourceful to all the chaos coming at us.

Keep dancing it out,

Thomas

Soleil Kohl is the Producer/Performer of Don’t Kill Daisy.

Thomas Choinacky is the Creator/Performer of My Allowance.