CRYSIS, The Contemporary Austin, 2024. Live Performance. Telephone installation, two white pedestals, a vocal processor, two telephone microphones, two speakers. Approximately 40 minutes.

The third iteration of Chandrika Metivier's transgressive performance series, CRYSIS adapts Act 2 of Ariana Reines's two-time Obie Award winning play TELEPHONE, inspired by Avital Ronell's The Telephone Book. Staged at The Contemporary Austin, this performance takes place on the unique setting of the Jones Center rooftop, adding a distinct new dimension to the work.

Set within institutional spaces like museums, CRYSIS places the rarely seen experience of internalized telephones, as embodied by Jung's patient Mrs. Babbett in Reines's text, against the backdrop of cultural preservation. This juxtaposition serves to challenge societal norms and taboos surrounding mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. Through Reines's powerful language, original music, and evocative imagery, CRYSIS aims to evoke discomfort, highlighting society's underdeveloped capacity for compassion towards these experiences. Simultaneously, it endeavors to offer a space for healing and growth, encouraging audiences to develop empathy towards mental health experiences often relegated to the margins.

Specific elements of this iteration included custom lighting design tailored for the rooftop environment. The costume choice drew inspiration from the 2009 performance of Act 2 as part of Works & Process at the Guggenheim, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, performed by Birgit Huppuch, and featuring costume design by Florencia Vetcher.