Make The Terror
Make The Terror
a) A few hours before you intend to start your performance. (or maybe this is the beginning of your performance?) Find yourself a clear container that will hold water (go to the recycling or an old take out container *remember when we could get take out???* really anything will do…..) Fill said container with water.
b) Ok, now you need a tiny terror.
Ok, what you need is a tiny boat that could represent HMS Terror, which was a specialized warship with a reenforced hull- a newly developed bomb vessel constructed for the Royal Navy in 1813. She participated in several battles including the bombardment of Fort McHenry. (side note: Thus the source of "the rockets" whose "red glare” reveals the “bombs bursting in air” and maybe a flag). The Terror was converted into a polar exploration ship two decades later. Yours could be almost anything: a toy?, a bottle cap?, an almond that you’ve inscribed the name of the ship with a safety pin on? a paper cut out? an origami boat? etc. etc. (again I recommend raiding the recycling.) You are making a vessel to stand in for your terror.
c) Ok, now take your tiny boat and cram it into your container of water. Take your Terror, your personal fleet, your personal terror in total and drown it in the water. As Dark Ahab reminded us, "Only drowned things drown, let it go down.” There will be a bit of a splash as you displace some of the water. That’s ok too. We all have to be careful here in the splash zone.
d) Then, place your submerged Terror and water and vessel into the freezer and let it freeze. This step might take a few hours.
When you are ready to performer the piece, have a quick check on the Terror but leave it in the freezer- leave your terror trapped. At this point you’ve got a ship stuck in the ice in the eternal Arctic night of the freezer. (The light does go off when you close the door.)
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