Oli Can Dance: That OCD Play

(working title)

In process. Based on Oliver Jane’s experience with Major Depression, OCD, PTSD, and psychosis

Lead artists: Oliver Jane

A Trilogy that follows our non-binary and mad-as-a-hatter hero, Jo, through the ups and downs of being a clown weirdo, a trauma survivor, an OCD nut job, and Complex PTSD warrior. It chronicles their life and attempt to live a life beyond boarders in and around North America while they moonlight as their alter-ego/cabaret persona Oli Oli Ennui. It also chronicles the intergenerational friendship and bond Jo develops with their best older-woman pal: a relationship that reveals how the bonds of love, friendship, and family can blossom in the most unlikely of places.

We pay homage to goat(h)owl heros like David Lynch, Romeo Castellucci, The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret, The Foundry Theatre Company, Kneehigh Theatre, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Prince, The Dead Kennedys, Bessel Von der Kolk, Carl Jung, Mary Ainsworth, Michel Foucault, Thomas S. Szasz, Maria Bamford, Esmé Weijun Wang, psychiatric or wellness specialists who treat and help folks living with various manifestations of trauma, and the many ‘mad-as-a-hatter’ artists who thrive or survive throughout North America.

This piece unfolds as one part kitchen-sink drama, one part unforgivingly raunchy cabaret, one part unnerving stand up comedy act, one part surrealist composition, and one part rock concert complete with a full-live band.