A reflection about Lake Life by Esther Quigley

Everything in the universe is constantly changing. I am changing, you are changing and

our planet is changing. It can be a superficial transformation or the Earth having

completed a full cycle around the sun. But what does change actually entail? And what does it feel like, to be turned into a being without consciousness? I began to reflect on these questions during the performance of “Lake Life”.

My name is Esther Quigley, I'm almost 17 years old and I'm in the Sam programme at Södra Latin’s gymnasium. I grew up south of Stockholm and have spent most of my time right there. Dance, theater and other performing arts have always fascinated and inspired me, which in turn led me to write this text.

It’s September the 10th and the location is MDT. I’m standing in the foyer, just before the performance begins. There is an air of anticipation in the room, but the odd thingamajig which has been strapped across my shoulder has caused a bit of confusion. Suddenly somebody announces that it is time to enter and the audience starts moving towards the entrance. The entryway to the stage is a long, dark and mysterious corridor with drapes along both sides. It feels like walking through a dark passageway and then being welcomed into a new world. A world for and by “changelings”. The changeling is a being which is established early on in the performance and then becomes the starting point through the entire experience. The “changeling” beings are mutable and have a strong connection with each other.

They are constantly transforming and can become anything from a dog to a planet to a thought. They then gather together and become a lake in order to be able to take part in each other’s experiences and feelings. Every now and then a changeling is struck with “stuckness” or “solidness”. A terrible feeling of being stuck, of being unchangeable. The feeling of being caught inside one’s own skin without the ability to break free. When this situation arises, the changeling returns to the lake to receive support and help from the others of its kind. Everyone will immediately sense if one changeling has been afflicted. They are all affected but then they help each other to get out of the terrible state. I think that changelings and their powers and different states are a wonderful metaphor for how we function as humans, or perhaps how we should act. All people find themselves in moments in which one can relate to the “stuckness” of the changelings. You might get stuck in a thought, a state or a feeling and as a consequence you affect the people around you. But to get rid of the feeling, you need help from those close to you. That’s my interpretation of the story of the changelings, their world and their relationship to each other.

Another thing which the performance shines a light on is the importance of having access to one’s imagination. Towards the end of the performance, the room was lit up and pieces of paper were released from the ceiling. I was very surprised and quite excited to find out what would happen next. Written on the pieces of paper were various questions to be discussed.

The task was to imagine being something, either a being with consciousness or one without. One could be a river, an octopus or music. I discovered how difficult it was to visualize oneself as something without consciousness. At the same time I appreciated the moment because it was something I had never done before. Besides, I think that it is good for you to have a wide sense of imagination when finding yourself in moments of “stuckness”. Instead of ending up in a destructive loop of thoughts, one can imagine being something else.

When I left MDT after having seen Lake Life I had a lot to talk about. The performance opened me up towards questions which I hadn’t reflected upon before. What does change entail and how important is it for us humans? Can all humans change? When is change good? Reflecting upon matters like these is something which I have never done before. Perhaps the performance caused a slight change within me.