I Don’t Even Miss You
1 actor. Run time of approximately 75 minutes.
A touring production of this show is prepped and ready to go. If you’d like to see a script, press kit, and/or archival video, please reach out.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Non-binary computer programmer Basil (they/them) wakes up to a new world and devastating loss.
Using live music, dance, and video, "I Don't Even Miss You" is bold and multidisciplinary exploration of grief, love, and legacy, and asks how gender, identity, and friendship can exist with no one to perceive them.
Listen to “Tonight” (opening song in I Don’t Even Miss You).
This show includes a dynamic caption design, developed by video designer Tori Morrison in collaboration with Deaf Artist and Consultant Connor Yuzwenko-Martin.
Our goal is to create captions that are artistically linked to the show's action, while also making the show more accessible for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and/or neurodivergent audience members (and anyone else who benefits from using captions).
Development History
Concept developed and workshopped as part of Why Not Theatre’s 2020-2022 RISER Projects.
Video exploration/proof of concept premiered as part of Summerworks 2021 online festival.
Script developed thanks to a commission from Verb Theatre.
Researched and developed our dynamic caption design with support from Canstage.
2022 development supported by the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Premiered as part of the Common Ground Arts Society’s 2022 RISER Project.
Touring and design workshop took place in Edmonton winter 2023.
First touring presentation took place in Ottawa in February 2023, as part of the Undercurrents Festival.
National tour upcoming.
Past Productions
2024 Production (ran at the 2024 Undercurrents Festival)
ARTISTIC TEAM
Produced by Tiny Bear Jaws
Written and Performed by Elena Belyea
Direction and Dramaturgy by Emma Tibaldo
Sound and Video Design by Tori Morrison
Stage Managed by Steven Sobolewski
Choreographed by Gianna Vacirca
Premiere Production Assistant Directed by Sarah Emslie
Musical Support by Miranda Martini
Composition co-created by Elena Belyea and Tori Morrison
Lighting Design by Whittyn Jason
Set Design by Even Gilchrist
Caption Design by Lauren Acheson, David Walker, and Mac Brock
AI Consultation by Kory Mathewson
Associate Producer and Captions Operator, Mac Brock
Technical Director and Production Manager, Liv Bunge
Voice of Orchid by Vanessa Sabourin
Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
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2022 Production (ran as part of the Common Ground Arts Society’s 2022 RISER Project)
ARTISTIC TEAM
Produced by Tiny Bear Jaws and the Common Ground Arts Society
Written and Performed by Elena Belyea
Direction and Dramaturgy by Emma Tibaldo
Sound and Video Design by Tori Morrison
Stage Managed by Andrea Rivera Handal
Choreographed by Gianna Vacirca
Assistant Direction and Understudied by Sarah Emslie
Musical Support by Miranda Martini
Composition co-created by Elena Belyea and Tori Morrison
Lighting Design by Daniela Masselis
Costume Design by Whittyn Jason
Caption Design and Technical Direction by Lauren Acheson
AI Consultation by Kory Mathewson
Voice of Orchid by Vanessa Sabourin
Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
Selected Press
“From the moment we first meet non-binary computer programmer, Basil (Belyea), it is impossible to not be immersed in their plight for connection and finding beauty in their eerily silent world. Through quirky song and dance numbers to heart-rending soliloquies to humorous banter with Orchid (voiced by Vanessa Sabourin), Basil's emotional journey is utterly compelling.” - Broadway World| Full review here.
“Basil, played by the talented Elena Belyea, who also wrote the piece, recounts all 30-something years of their life. … I was blown away by the synth-infused opening number, “Tonight,” and each of the subsequent pop performance…Words cannot describe how much I Don’t Even Miss You touched my heart.” - Intermission Magazine | Full review here.
“[Basil’s] continuing resourcefulness will hit your heart and give it a crank. It’s a show that speaks in an original way about a predicament that has suddenly elided into … life. I’ve found "I Don’t Even Miss You" an experience that’s hard to shake off afterwards.” - Liz Nicholls | Full review here.
“Features the incredibly talented Elena Belyea … A deeply immersive experience. … Shows us how AI can be used to enhance art rather than detract from it.” - Apartment 613 | Full review here.
All archival and promotional photos by Brianne Jang.