WESLEY WODGERS
Full performance 10 min. I toured the country with this piece in 2015, when there were uprisings in response to racist police violence in many major cities. Over five weeks, I performed this piece in 25 cities. In live performances, I sometimes wore a camera on my chest that filmed the audience, one on my mic/gun that filmed my face, and a projector on my shoulder that live streamed the action behind me. Before tour, the first performances were at Threewalls in Chicago for AcreTVs Direct Object/Direct Action series, and in LA that same week at Ultra Zone Lazer Tag for a music and performance art event exploring the uncomfortable intersection of fun and violence. At each event, there was one other piece on the topic of racist police violence, by Danny Giles at Threewalls and by Lex Brown at Laser Tag Soundtrack. The list of rationales that follows, "when to shoot..." comes from police training, high profile cases of brutality, and personal speculation. Song, "I'm Sorry" by Brenda Lee. Lyrics here are slightly altered.