I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes)

Overview

I’m Going to Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes) is a highly improvisational original work by Lochlan MacLean and February Schneck. The show asks its audience to assist The Figure in uncovering exactly who they are and what their life was all about. Together, they unpack the many mysteries and traumas of life, identity, and what it means to die, all while enjoying the subpar delights of some less-than-ideal cupcakes.

Lousy Cupcake (as we colloquially call it) is a play that explores death from two perspectives — That of a person who knows they are going to die and that of a person who’s lost a dear friend and must now process their grief. Lochlan wrote the concept for this play shortly after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, which forced them to look at life (and death) from a new perspective. They created a loose story in which the “Figure” character would be recreated during each performance by the actor and audience, showing how no matter who this person is, their experience with life and death is universal. Following their death, Lochlan’s friend February picked up the unfinished script and, with the support of Lochlan’s community, adapted it into the show we have today. Lousy Cupcake seeks to open up conversations about death and grief especially for those actively processing their own mortality and/or the death of a loved one. Sylvia Grosvold, the actor who portrays “Figure”, is uniquely poised to take on this mission. After the death of her mother in her early childhood Sylvia has striven to spread awareness about death and grief through close work with The Dougy Center — a nonprofit that provides free group therapy for children processing the death of a relative. She has also recorded multiple Story Corps conversations with her dad for National Public Radio where they share their story in the hopes of demystifying the healing process.

About the Artist

LibLab Productions began in 2022 when two of our founders, Lochlan MacLean and February Schneck, began to cultivate ideas for a new form of theatre: “Chaos Theatre”. In the 2.5 years since, Lochlan and Feb’s mission to embrace chaotic, collaborative theatre making has evolved into the guiding tenets for LibLab Productions. LibLab seeks to provide innovative programming through our wide array of multimedia productions and workshops. By placing a greater focus on experimentation, absurdity, and play, LibLab examines the various complexities of the human condition and all its uniquely chaotic experiences.

Credits