2016
'Hamstermachine', 2016. Performed once for 'Situation Conflict, Conflict Situation' Act Up! Performance benefit at 13th St. Reperatory Theatre, New York NY. Available formats: Script, reel.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xein_pM-3jE HEIGHT 400
This is a work of straight theatre. A lot of the dialogue was sourced from Reddit, from Neoreactionary boards. Campbell Carolan drew positions from characters we developed by participating in women's networks on the alt right. Looking back, this is probably to therapy what learning was to Brecht. We would spend the next four years living on this kind of comedy trauma exclusively.
SOLOWAY: Don’t think you have any rights. CHEY: Well, as a second-class citizen I tend to think I’m above them. SOLOWAY: Try being poor and underprivileged. CHEY(WALKING TOWARDS AUDIENCE WITH PHONE): Try being someone else’s property. It’ll relax you. You put a lot of energy into trying to control yourself when you could really just economize your situation and outsource the job. SOLOWAY: Don’t cross that line, Chey. Don’t break the strike. Remember it’s your day off.
Here, method works upon the constraints: the two women are stuck on hold, thinking "too much", or "hamstering," as they say on reddit, "spinning the wheels of reason". When the senator picks up the play ends. A lot can happen in 15 minutes when two women get bored and can't act.
hamstermachine
https://campbellcarolan.com/HAMSTER-MACHINE HEIGHT 1800