Buds Digest 008 / edible moments with…
TIRESIAS
Photographed by SHAUN LUCAS
Smart and artful performer and production wonder, TIRESIAS, takes us underground for an electric and out there edition of Edible Moments. The discerning and busy figure bursts with cool calm and creative energy against some of Buds’ most revealing poses.
“There's something very special about what's possible in a queer nightclub that rarely ever happens in a theater.”
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I suppose my first multidisciplinary inspiration was my mother. A professor once told her she couldn't be a printmaker and a folk musician–that she had to choose. Of course she didn't and now she's a boss. I was always drawn to an eclectic menagerie of forms, practices, and disciplines–music, writing, visual art, film/video, dance, puppetry, etc.–and realized early on that theater and performance were omnivorous art forms where many of these drives and curiosities could converge. With regards to my current adventures at the intersection of drag, theater, and nightlife, some of the artists who inspire me most are Taylor Mac, Laurie Anderson, and my dear drag mother and friend Untitled Queen. It all comes back to mothers.
How has your Underworld concept been received? What can we expect from the next?
The response has been utterly insane, beyond anything I could have hoped for. More people than I can count have said that it's one of the best shows they've ever seen, some going so far as to say it's the best, period. Others have called the show "mind-blowing", "utopic", and even "life-changing." The adjectives have been effusive and off-the-walls. I think a big part of this is that audiences feel like they're really a part of the Underworld, which they are. There's something very special about what's possible in a queer nightclub that rarely ever happens in a theater. How we all become part of something much larger than ourselves.
Did the Greeks use psychedelics?
Girl, how do you think Greek mythology was born? There is actually substantial evidence that many ancient cultures around the world used mushrooms and other natural substances to elicit altered states. It is thought that some even prayed to mushroom gods.
What flavor would you be - and what flavor would you never be?
I would want to be the glorious alchemical splendor that is the combination of lime, chili, and garlic. I would never want to be the flavor of a maraschino cherry (heinous).
Favorite musicians right now?
Laurie Anderson, FKA twigs, James Blake, Sevdaliza, Princess Nokia, Nat King Cole, Susumu Yokota, Tove Lo, Saint-Saëns, Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, ROSALÍA, and always Björk. And my dear friend Sandrayati, whose new album Safe Ground is gorgeous. Give it a listen.
We love your incredible video/cover of Radiohead’s classic “Creep.” Can you tell us about it?
