CRYSIS, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, 2024. Live Performance. Telephone installation, two white pedestals, a vocal processor, two telephone microphones, two speakers. Approximately 40 minutes.

Presented as a unique iteration within Chandrika Metivier's performance series, CRYSIS is a live performance that steps into a kaleidoscopic universe resonating with Jacolby Satterwhite's multimedia magic, presented in celebration of his "A Metta Prayer" exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. This performance blends dramatic narrative with the unexpected beauty of a cappella harmonies, creating a vibrant and moving ode to love and resilience.

At the heart of CRYSIS is an adaptation of Act 2 from playwright, author, and poet Ariana Reines's two-time Obie Award winning play, TELEPHONE, performed with explicit permission from the author. The performance utilizes the full 35-minute monologue spoken as Babette Saint, a schizophrenic patient of Carl Jung. Dramatic narrative is interwoven with live a cappella interjections featuring real-time vocal distortions achieved through a vocal processor, broadcast through two speakers. The costume choice for this iteration was specifically inspired by the original production of TELEPHONE, commissioned by The Foundry Theatre in 2009 and performed by Birgit Huppuch at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll with costumes by Carol Bailey.

Accompanying the performance is a site-specific installation, created and installed by the artist, featuring a mylar telephone installation and utilizing two telephone microphones for the vocal performance. This installation serves as a tangible focal point within the performance space. Through the lens of Reines's text and Metivier's distinct performance elements, CRYSIS offers a potent dialogue with Satterwhite's themes, inviting audiences to explore the intersection of inner turmoil and the enduring strength of the human spirit within a shared artistic landscape.

This iteration of CRYSIS marks the second in a performance series.