“Please Take Off” by the Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? Collective

We are experimenting with ideas of removal surrounding memory—how humans create events of the past by focusing on certain details and removing or forgetting others—and the idea of removing some expected elements from performance. Through a variety of disciplines and styles, including poem theater, puppetry, and experimental song, characters have conversations about memories with wildly different interpretations, elders speak using few recognizable words, guitarists create emotional intensity through movement rather than sound, and one piece moves from tender clothing rituals into creature transformation and a mythic-west meditation on the idea of freedom.

We first performed an earlier version of “Please Take Off," titled “Take Off Your Blank," in January 2024 on a DIY tour to DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond, Wilmington, and Atlanta. Using that version as a jumping-off point, we created a new iteration that we performed in Baltimore as part of the Free Fall Festival and in Philadelphia as part of the Cannonball Festival at Philly Fringe 2025.

Devisers/Performers:
Jacob Zabawa 
Luu Pham
Theresa Columbus 
Francisco Benavides 

2024 Performances of "Take Off Your Blank"

Jan 16-27 DC @ Rhizome, Richmond, VA @ Ghost Family House, Wilmington, NC @ Barzarre,  Atlanta, GA @ Limelight Theater Blackbox, Philadelphia, PA @ Vox Populi Blackbox, Baltimore, MD @ 2640 Space

2025 Performances of "Please Take Off"

Sept 19, 20, 21 Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia (Cannonball Festival), Sept 17 and Oct 7 St. Mark's Church Baltimore

SMall WIns is an original play by about the serious and humorous pursuit of winning at life. The show is something like a surreal TEDtalk where the audience is carried on a journey on which researchers are saying true things about the importance of lifting each other up in community, while at the same time going down rabbit holes such as insisting that having no boundaries is potentially healthy. Case studies in their research include observing someone neglecting their plant who is portrayed by a magnificent movement artist, as well as asking the audience for input as someone attempts to parallel park their cardboard car badly. The case studies take a wild turn when they become abstracted performed tales of salmon entering dangerous waters, or a giant piece of toast landing butter side up, and a game show where insects may or may not be eaten by the other contestants. Interspersed throughout the show is audio of real-life interviews with a wide spectrum of Baltimore residents that share their experiences or recognizing, acknowledging, and celebrating their wins. At the end, the audience is invited into a festive serenade where velvety roses and certificates are distributed and audiences are awarded for doing something worth celebrating. A researcher belts out “we set out to prove something simple…” Yes, in some ways, simple,

Performed at the Submersive HQ in Feb. 2025

Concept and Direction

Caitlin Weaver

Produced by the Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? Collective

Creators and Performers

Defne Aksoy

Theresa Columbus

Derek Crowe

Savannah Fisher

Dave Iden

Sarah Kate Jacklin

Tori McReynolds

Jakey Zabawa

Stage Manager

August Bryant

Music Composition by Emefa Agawu & Eli Hancock

Sound design by Caitlin Weaver, Ableton Consultant Ruby Fulton

Lighting design

Chris Allen

Poster design

Jakey Zabawa

Program design

Derek Crowe

Interviewees

Mr. Robert- New Day Gallery and Antique Shop

Diana- Dunkin' Donuts on Maryland Ave

Erin Weaver

Aaron Posner

Maisie Posner

Tom Weaver

Anne Marie Weaver

Evan Watson

Abigail Swisher

Emefa Agawu

Melanie Brill

Joe from Austin

April Kersey

Sadie Zabawa

cadia montero

christian hatcher

Performed at the Mobtown Ballroom in September 2024

"Greetings From..." was an experiment in creating a piece of work with a horizontal power structure. Each member of the cast not only created material for the show, but got to decide how material would be made for different parts of the show. Inspired by the idea of postcards and the fact that Amelia Earhart had a plane full of postcards and mail when she disappeared, the story evolved into a series of shorts springing from imagined mysterious postcards, including one from a lonely orbiting space telescope named Huggle. As Amelia Airplane comes to terms with her new role as the patron saint of the dead letter office, she bonds with Huggle, who shares “wisdom from above.”

"Well Ends Well That's All" was created as a hybrid process of devising as an ensemble combined with writing and directing by Francisco Benavides. When two friends die too young in a bizarre accident set off by a squirrel. On the other side, they are startled to discover that the afterworld is full of exhausting paperwork, befuddling mandates, and odd beings,  but they are assisted by a cheerful person who has been dead for some time. Their journey becomes perilous when they encounter the Dance Demon, and whenever they succumb to the intense sleepiness or hunger they experience in this realm…after a long journey, they do reach their destination- is this the end you were hoping for?

WELL ENDS WELL THAT'S ALL/
GREETINGS FROM... is a show of 2 short devised pieces with complementary themes, travel and exhaustion, but differing devising processes. 

Greetings From… Deviser/writer/performers
Rowan Gardner
Dave Iden
PK Kim
Francesco Leandri
Luu Pham
Joanna Plasencia
Jacob Zabawa

Co-facilitators/devisers: Theresa Columbus, Luu Pham & Jakey Zabawa

With Additional Writing Contributions from: Rowan Gardner, Dave Iden & PK Kim

Well Ends Well That’s All
Devised By-
Theresa Columbus
Rowan Gardner
Hayden “Hayden” Hauptman
Dave Iden
Francesco Leandri
Eli/za Leighton
Jakey Zabawa

Written By- Francisco Benavides

With Writing Contributions From- Theresa Columbus, Rowan Gardner & Francesco Leandri

Directed By- Francisco Benavides

An intrepid group of thespians awake one morning to startling news: their friend, the supermodel, is calling in a favor. She has an important obligation and can’t make her runway that evening– can they cover for her? Of course they can! After pumping each other up with affirmations, they have an incredibly successful experience on the fashion runway. It’s so successful that they immediately get a call from the Fashion Industry itself, encouraging them to continue their journey. They know, as a group of skilled thespians, that they can accomplish this task– as long as they NEVER EVER wear the cursed yellow dress… One ghost story later, we find our thespians asking the advice of a catty fashion expert and dabbling with new fashion ideas (the absence of fashion) in their next runway. But like many successful rockstars before them, the fashionistas let the fame go to their heads and they don the proverbial yellow dress. They say cruel words to each other and the band breaks up. The only problem is, their friendship is too great to be cut in twain like a scrap of fabric! Reuniting through dance, our heroes walk one last runway and straight to the altar. Their friendship secured, the thespians marry their art and fashion and invite the audience to walk the runway with them.

Devised by:
Francisco Benavides
Izaak Collins 
Theresa Columbus
Luu Pham
Dana Woodson 
Jacob Zabawa 
Directed by:
Izaak Collins

Tweets You Can Hold: A Fashion Presentation
by the Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? Collective

Aug 21 Providence, RI at the Lost Bag
Aug 23 Philadelphia, PA at Deep End Studios 8pm
Aug 24 DC at Rhizome 7pm
Aug 26 and 27 Baltimore at the Undercroft
 

Photos by Dave Iden (at Current Space and Mobtown Theater)