You Can't Be Serious

You Can't Be Serious

Written and performed by Andrea Parson

Direction and dramaturgy by Katherine Murphy Lewis

Original music composition by Joe Kye

A final bow in Germany, a cancer diagnosis, a death, a cookie, a conversation with God. In this evening of solo dance and storytelling Andrea Parson responds to the loss of her sister to breast cancer in 2020. You Can’t Be Serious is a tragic and comedic story about witnessing, and grappling with death. Andrea sinks to the bottom, attempts a stand up routine and shines a light into the deepest waters of the ocean. The audience is pulled toward Andrea as she asks them questions about death and love. A dance between down and up, between the weight of tears and the levity of laughter, each movement of this story collides into the next in a captivating collage of grief, and brings death fully to life.

Originally developed in a residency program in Portland, OR with From the Ground UP (2021), You Can’t Be Serious made its world premier at BodyVox Dance Center in 2023 with direction and dramaturgy by Katherine Murphy Lewis, and an original sound score by Joe Kye. Since then the show has been presented at the Oregon Fringe Festival, Hollywood Fringe Festival and will make its NYC debut at the United Solo Festival Fall 2024.

Seating is limited // Get your 🎫 today!

Open Space and Oregon Contemporary Accessibility:

Oregon Contemporary is a wheelchair accessible theater (ramp to front entrance, no internal stairs) with wheelchair seating available for power or manual wheelchairs.  Oregon Contemporary has an all-gender restroom which is accessible for power and manual wheelchairs. Please contact charlene@openspace.dance if you will be using accessible seating, have any additional questions, or just want to let us know you’re coming so we can plan accordingly.

Pay what you can option available by emailing From the Ground Up for discount code. (katherineftgu@gmail.com)

Photo Credit: Scotty Fisher @sleeperstudios