These aren’t the babies I met on the last night of Radix Theatre’s TBD, but I am happy to meet these babies—or any babies—any time.
This is another note about my experience of Radix Theatre’s TBD, which was inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
It’s over now, but it was an immersive theatrical experience in which participants were guided through an imaginary process of dying, negotiating the afterlife, and being reborn.
I was reborn in the back of a rented van that was parked near my gym. That’s a story in itself.
A couple of days later, all participants (audience members) were invited to come to the theatre in the Roundhouse Community Centre. There, we were ushered into the theatre, and invited to take off our shoes and find a place to sit in the playing area.
The entire stage was covered in gym mats and soft kids’ play structures—little slides and seats and things.
We sat there, the recently reborn—well lit, with gentle, meditative music playing quietly—and we looked at one another. For a long while, that was it. And I’ve got to tell you that everybody that I was looking at was fucking beautiful. Unguarded, human beings are so gorgeous.
Then, after about 10 minutes, a young mom arrived with her baby, who was maybe four months old. They sat down near me, and the mom put her baby on the mat. I was so into watching that kid I felt like I was stoned.
Then another mom arrived with a baby who was maybe six months old, and the two little ones grooved on one another. Best. Show. Ever.
More parents arrived with their kids and I finally figured out that this was deliberate. Those other moms weren’t just late; this was a baby and toddler festival.
So the metaphorically reborn lovingly watched the literally recently born. The whole thing might have lasted about half an hour.
It was fantastic.
Thanks to Radix Theatre for being so bold.
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