Let The Foam Cup Go

Written, directed, and produced by Jason Chan, Let The Foam Cup Go was the first Collective Unconscious production. Based on a poem by Thinh Nguyen (see below), it was a short piece (about 15 minutes) performed as part of the 1998 Putting On An Act show at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in July. The performers were Jason Chan, David Hayward, Denise Hayward, and Iris Lavell (there was also another performer, but to my shame I can't recall his name :-().

let the foam cup go

let it stumble freely, even awkwardly

across the freshly mown grass

it is empty now,

not much use to you.

let the foam cup go

no matter how much

conscience gnaws at you,

no point

lunging

after it like some memory

besides,

it’s in the hand

of the wind now

you’d only make a spectacle

of yourself,

it will drift

to where it’s destined,

like us all.

get another cup and

strike a pose,

this picnic is far from over.

tn 1993