Canopy: A Campus Compendium
Full performance tour here.
On April 24th, 2022 we walked under the tree canopy of the University of Michigan’s Central Campus.
Accompanied by friends, family, collaborators, and strangers, we met four trees: the Ross Bur Oak, the Presidential Hemlocks, the Tappan Oak, and the American Elm. We explored their stories through performance, music, dance, and spoken words in a 5 part interactive walking tour performance. Along this journey, we felt these stories with all our senses.
Now we carry these stories with us in our bodies.
Lead Artists: Jenna John, Cameron Wilson, Noelle Dunbar, Katherine Klassa, and Maddy Wildman
In this performance, we tell the story of the Ross Bur Oak being moved 100 yards. Audience members take hold of wires and re-enact the grueling journey of moving a 700,000 pound being that was displaced and uprooted to make room for an addition to the Ross Business School building.
Creative Director: Noelle Dunbar
Ross Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Presidential Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis)
After leading the audience through the Hemlock’s needles amidst a wash of sound, we listen to the story of former president Mark Schlissel learn from the Hemlock and all the creatures in direct relationship with them: the Porcupine, the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, the Wood Thrush, and more.
Creative Directors: Maddy Wildman and Cameron Wilson. Written by Maddy.
Tappan Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
One of the campus’s oldest trees now reduced to a stump, we gathered to make offerings of commemoration. Audience members are invited to embody these sentiments to the tree through an improvised movement building exercise: “I am grateful for you; I empathize with you; I miss you; I love you.”
Creative Director: Katherine Klassa
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
Have you seen the trees marked in red? The Dutch Elm Disease has devastated over 70 million of our beloved American elms nationwide. Jenna tells the story of how the trees fought back, aided by the love of their human caretakers offering vaccines to protect them from the fungal infection.
Creative Director: Jenna John
Creative Director/Composer: Cameron Wilson
Sealed in Secret Soil is a 30 minute long meditation on and exploration of communal stewardship.
It served as a reflective gathering space following the performance tour. More info here.
CREDITS
Contributions and Support from: Karen Finley, Sara Alderstein-Gonzalez and the University of Michigan Arts Initiative (Chris Audain, Imani Mchunu, and Alison Rivett),
Videography: Lara Graney and Kian McDonough
Editing: Lara Graney and Cameron Wilson
Musicians:
Cameron Wilson - Composition, Percussion, synthesizer
Josie Ala, Callum Roberts - Trumpet
Sam Uribe - Tenor Sax
Nick Warren - Soprano Sax
Maria Ramirez - Clarinet
Bryce Richardson - Bassoon, Contrabassoon
Maddy Wildman - Bassoon, Flute
Justine Sedky - Flute
Eloysa Cisneros, Grey Grant - melodica
All audience members were given a zine with collages and poetry corresponding to each tree.
Collages by Noelle Dunbar
Poetry by Jenna John
Max Braun, Landon Young, Riley List - French Horn
Clay Gonzalez, Steve Rush - Trombone
Ryan Meyaard - Bass Trombone
Lyd de Leeuw - Cello
Walter Braun - Harmonica + violin
Will Kelley, Chris Sies, Sydney Gembka, Joey Fortino, Chris Pyke, Bella Villasenor, Griffin Harvey - Percussion
Liam Connolly, Sarah Connolly, Jade Whittaker-Mitts, Nick Fiori, - Celebratory Shaky Sounds