Dystopian sea-dwellers are taking over Carrboro today.
Internationalist Books and Community Center will host MERMUTANTS!, a collaborative multimedia performance that features original live music, storytelling and most unique of all — different types of puppetry.
The futuristic science fiction play centers on the (mostly) underwater fantasy of “The Future of Florida,” detailing a story of how elite surviving humans would interact with evolving sea creatures – hence the name “Mermutants.”
One of the reasons Florida could end up underwater is because of climate change, which cast member Chelsea Kamm said is one of the underlying issues in the show.
“I wouldn’t say it’s completely our main focus, but we definitely address those issues because we all think it’s a reality,” she said. “So it is addressing that but in a very light-hearted way and poking fun of people who deny it."
The MERMUTANTS! crew, some of whom are from Florida, began working on the show in early January and began its tour of the South just a month later. Kamm said the six members have all had an equal role in building, writing and performing the project.
Internationalist Books, which moved to its new spot in Carrboro in September, was previously located on Franklin Street for almost 20 years. MEMRUTANTS! will be the first show held in the new space.
Martha Pentecost, the event coordinator for Internationalist Books, said the new space is better for performances like this.
“We love to have puppet shows and we often have different kinds of artist performances here,” she said. “Whatever crazy ideas we can get, the better.”
UNC senior James Murphey has volunteered at Internationalist Books for over two years and said he likes that it acts as both a large collection of unique books as well as a place for people to discuss ideas.
“It’s not just a book store — it’s a community space and we’re trying to open it to anyone in Carrboro or Chapel Hill who’s trying to host an event," he said. "We also try to be a resource for anyone who normally wouldn’t fit into the regular Chapel Hill bar or restaurant scene.”
Murphey said that part of what will make this performance stand out is the direct relationship with the audience and performance provided by the open space in Internationalist Books.
Kamm expressed similar opinions, and said she hopes the show will expose people to different forms of performance media and to a performance they may not have seen otherwise.
“I think we really want to make people have a good time, but hopefully (the show) can provoke some sort of thought,” she said.
Another goal of the puppet show is, of course, exposing people to the different types of puppetry.
UNC grad Bill Pappas '13, a fan of MERMUTANTS! cast member Ellen Degenerate, said he is excited to see the show on Thursday.
“(Ellen) has a wonderful gift in bringing together magical surrealism and a real critical and intelligent critique of our very stiff and standardized society,” he said. “I expect to be thrilled visually, audibly, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually by this performance.”
According to Murphey, UNC students who attend this show will have the benefit of experiencing both a fun performance and unique venue.
“I-Books is great because you can meet people and discuss ideas instead of passively consuming them,” he said.
“Having a space like that is a really unique thing about Chapel Hill and Carrboro.”
arts@dailytarheel.com
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