Performance Works: Telling Stories

Evergreen, you lovely island
Island of café society
Always the students glowing
Always the ideas flowing

Evergreen, you ugly island
Island of evaluations
Always the students are joking,
Always the budget is choking,
And the people smoking,
The professors crying (Rob and Don: wipe eyes)
And the students sighing
I like our liminal status
You go online and then rate us!

I like to be in Performance Works!
All about me in Performance Works!
Dances to see in Performance Works!
Write “him” or “he” in Performance Works? (all: frown, scratch chins in confusion)

We gave out stories to teach you
How can we tell when we reach you? (all three shrug their shoulders)
So many stories of male pride
DON: Thank God there’s more than just one side.

Chorus:
Salmon Nation in Performance Works!
Indignation in Performance Works!
Many good times in Performance Works!
Everything rhymes in Performance Works!

I’m reading Billy Budd in school
Homoerotica sounds cool, yes? (YES!)
Until I got to the tenth page
ROB: How can we put this thing on stage?

Chorus:
Britten’s at sea in Performance Works
More Debussy in Performance Works
Less Stravinsky in Performance Works
More Nijinsky in Performance Works!

Dance is the best when you’re with Rob
There is no rest with a good job
Don makes you write until you’re blue
DON: Sean makes you take off your two shoes!

Chorus:
Let’s take a breath in Performance Works
Never use meth in Performance Works
All kinds of death in Performance Works
Lear and Macbeth in Performance Works!

Ten-minute plays are the new thing
I want the gamelan to ring
Power freedom belonging fun
ROB: So many white boys playing drum

Chorus:
Where do they go from Performance Works,
“Ashland, hello!” in Performance Works
Nobody know in Performance Works
Your credit could go in Performance Works!