Temporality of Survival: A Portrait of Cancer

“Cancer is a rare and still scandalous subject for poetry; and it seems unimaginable to aestheticize the disease.” —Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor

Cancer treatment is a multisensory encounter in which time is accelerated, distended, and distorted. In Temporality of Survival: A Portrait of Cancer, Caitlyn Swett dares to depict this maelstrom in an immersive multimedia performance that evocatively combines the embodiment of dance and theater with the liminal state that layered imagery, sound, and memory can unearth. Swett is a dance artist and musician who is a two-time survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma. Through movement, words, and projection, lighting, and soundscape design, Temporality of Survival expresses the mortal truths that often cannot or will not be said. Adding to the slim repertoire of survivor stories told by survivors themselves, Swett fearlessly restages her journey while confronting simplistic cultural attitudes about cancer.

The May 11, 7PM Work-in-Progress Showing is SOLD OUT. Join the waitlist for additional opportunities to witness the work!