A literal pity party, modeled after a child's birthday party. Different stations are set up for people to visit in order to exorcise pity & fear. Disappointments from life are collected before the audience's arrival, and written on the party hats.

I staged this at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival one night, as a party for my fellow staff to destress and laugh in the middle of the madness.

Currently figuring out where to go with this project, as it means A LOT TO ME!

SPIN THE BOTTLE

DRAW AN EX YOU NEVER WANT TO SEE AGAIN (blindfolded)

⚠ IF YOU ARE NOT TRAVIS THEN PLEASE IGNORE ALL THIS BELOW 👇🏼

Hi everyone, fall is a really emotional time for me—just the way things get cold. It reminds me of ...a lot of disappointments that I don't always realize I'm still upset about, until I think about them. And I decided to throw a little pity party [as it were]. About the things I've done, and things that have happened to me. I know we all have a few. A big one for me is [something vulnerable]. So um, anyway...you can be yourself for the next twenty minutes...or if you want to be someone else and just make shit up—please do so.

MUSICAL CHAIRS OR MAYBE HOT POTATO

PIN THE MAP WHERE YOU'VE CRIED IN THIS BOROGH

THINGS TO PREP:
- bottle to spin
- paper and drawing supplies
- signs
- party hats
- easel
- apology situation index cards
- fortune telling device

SIGNS:
- map of Brooklyn
- an area just to be on your phone
- draw a photo of an ex
- come cry on my shoulder

SCAVENGER HUNT

GUESS THE JELLYBEANS

NEVER HAVE I EVER / MONOLOGUE OF PITY

AN AREA TO JUST BE ON YOUR PHONE

I thought we could get this party started with a game of spin the bottle. Just a few rounds.

Would you tell me a disappointment or a regret, big or perhaps small?

SQ 1 - MUSIC—low

RUN IN [sobbing]

Audience gets into a circle

Set up "area to be on your phone" sign

Put the bottle right in center

So when the bottle lands on you, just look into each other's eyes for like...forty-seven seconds. Shawn will keep time. After you've connected with someone you can get up.

Hi everyone it's me...I ran out of time...could everyone go back to their seats?

Thank you all for coming to my party. So to speak. Could everyone raise a hand? And put a finger down if something applies to you.
Never have I ever felt like a day of my life wasn't some roller-coaster of feeling like I know what I’m doing and I’m on this upward path but also having moments where I look at what I’m doing and feel in total disarray.

Never have I ever received a piece of personal criticism, without having a full-body melt-down. Sometimes when I’m having a conversation with someone in my head I begin to go down a path of thinking which physically aches me, and I kindly ask myself to shut the fuck up. I just in this very specific tone of voice say to myself and only to myself "uht-oh" or "oh fuck" which is me being honest with myself about how bad my mental state is. I used to say that a lot to myself when I realized I couldn't shake this feeling of being so deeply in love with someone.
Never have I ever remembered what I did to "get over" rejections, as it were?

Never have I ever owned a white shirt that didn't end up permanently stained with yellow sweat in the armpits.
I talk about this a lot and someone once said said to me, "oh you know what causes sweating? anxiety"
It makes me think about the overlap of anxiety and nervousness. I would not say that I have anxiety—certainly not an anxiety disorder. But I would call myself a nervous person. I can't stop right now prefacing or post-facing. I'm hearing myself turn into a kind of neurotic that I thought when I was younger was such a sad choice to make. But it's not a choice.

Never have I ever like fully told someone to like *fuck off*

Never have I ever made a charcuterie board.

Never have I ever gone viral.

Never have I ever stopped looking for your face, when I see someone with your haircut, the way it was when I saw you last.

Anyway. I'm going to talk about death now:
In that, I'm not afraid to die, in fact some times I'd like to.
I'm afraid to grow old.
When I think about the difference between myself now and ten years ago, I feel like I've just spent a decade collecting things to be upset about.

I don't think I'll react well when I get what feels like an inevitable diabetes diagnosis.

PRACTICE CONFLICT RESOLUTION

A PIÑATA, but ??? comes out instead of candy

CRY ON MY SHOULDER

MAKE A DISSAPOINTMENT HAT

If you don't want to participate at any time you can just go to this area that's fine

Set up the remaining stuff...

OK everyone, we're ready to go!
Here's a little tour of the stations:
[give tour]
Let the music play!

Audience disperses

upset person: your roommate leaves for days at a time, with rotting food in the fridge. tell them how you feel
defensive person: your roommate doesn't mind their own business. set up a boundary.

upset person: your roommate won't do their share of the cleaning. talk it out.
defensive person: you just want to have quiet time in your room. agree to compromise.

upset person: your partner is always coming in late and waking you up.
defensive person: you want some alone time. come to an agreement.

upset person: your partner is always running the water in the middle of the night.
defensive person: you are an early riser. try compromise.

upset person: your partner won't stop leaving the toilet seat up.
defensive person: you are

RECIEVE YOUR FORTUNE

SQ 5 - MUSIC—low

When there's like...5/6 min left cut the music, play the sound cue