I Have Quite A Bit Of Data

In 2020, in the wake of the We See You White American Theatre, the NYC-based collective This is Not A Theatre Company convened a series of meetings to discuss how to proceed. Over a series of increasingly micro-aggression-laden emails, the founder of TINATC, Erin Mee, berated and publicly humiliated Nicole Orabona, at the time one of the only POC members of the company, until eventually firing her for the heinous crime of "not enjoying baths." The story went viral in the theatre world (documented here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10100441206385806&set=a.10100441206854866), but remains to this day unaddressed by anyone with a position of authority within TINATC.

In response, we at Cirque Saw coded an algorithm trained on the works of Erin Mee's father, Chuck Mee's internationally-renowned Remaking Project, and fed it the passive aggressive e-mails to create a script, and then shot and animated the robot's handiwork. The result, "I Have Quite A Bit Of Data" is equal parts direct action, experimental film, and technological exploration of the space where intellectual property, intellectual elitism, and white supremacy collide. And a lot of rubber ducks. Maybe too many rubber ducks.

  • Nicole Orabona
    Director
    Washashores
  • Nathan Leigh
    Director
    Washashores
  • An algorithm
    Writer
    (it came into being for the creation of this project)
  • Cirque Saw
    Producer
    Washashores
  • Nicole Orabona
    Key Cast
    "ONE"
  • Pilar Adara
    Key Cast
    "TWO"
  • 51 Ducks
    Key Cast
    "Themselves"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 17, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Stop Motion Animation
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nicole Orabona, Nathan Leigh

Nicole Orabona (she/hers) has carved out a career that ascends both conventional and unconventional creative spaces. Her working life has seen her take on everything from leading roles in Shakespeare with Emit Theatre, to being a senior company member with the Drama Desk Nominated Live In Theater. Trained in a blend of modern and classical practices at Boise State University, she was an original devising member of the long-running Unmaking Toulouse Lautrec, has appeared in commercials for MasterCard and Conde Nast, and has worked on nearly two dozen interactive productions and prestige immersive events for clients that include Netflix and MGM.
Throughout the global pandemic, Nicole has been one of many working to keep the indie arts scene alive online. Her micro-short, Washashores, created by CirqueSaw, the production company she runs with partner Nathan Leigh, has been accepted to 6 film festivals, including Manhattan Rep's STORIES Film Festival. She also continues to develop pieces with old and new collaborators, such as spit&vigor, Exquisite Corpse, and Cirque du Nuit.

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