real live mermaid action
Performances
Mermaid Truth or Consequences
a Bio-diversity game show
Mermaid Truth or Consequences is a live game show where, if you can’t tell the truth about biodiversity loss, you have to pay the consequences. That’s right folks, life is one big scratch ticket, so what have you got to lose? Take it from a mermaid, extinction is real in this rollicking game to the finish!
Besides some high stakes games, your host Siren Jones interviews such illustrious guests as Ponce de Leon (one of the forefathers of resource extraction capitalism) and the bestselling author and forecaster Dra. Dolores du Monde about human and non-human survival. And there are prizes!
This eco-performance is written and performed by Elizabeth Doud, directed by Carlos Miguel Caballero, and includes the participation of Inez Barlatier (musician, actor) and Celia Ledón (costume/set design). Original music and sound design by Pavel Urkiza.
Climakaze Miami is a platform for performance and dialogue about climate change, environmental justice and sustainable futures en la Florida. Through arts and storytelling, we aim to build generative human networks in Florida and beyond which create awareness, action and greater empathy for other humans and other species.
Mermaid Truth or Consequences: A Biodiversity Gameshow (2021)
The Mermaid Tear Factory
an Ecoperformance laboratory
Mermaid Truth or Consequences: A Biodiversity Gameshow (2021)
From atop a trashy throne pulled by a bicycle, this mermaid is incarnated by artist Elizabeth Doud, who devised and staged this little street performance, which tells the story of a contemporary mermaid who comes ashore to protest sea garbage and conquer the hearts of humans, while selling them a magic potion: her tears.
As the practical component of a doctoral research project of the Federal University of Bahia's Post Graduate Program in Performing Arts, The Mermaid Tear Factory is an ongoing performance laboratory and site-specific exploration of the mermaid myth, and how the goddesses of the sea are confronting our hedonistic and pathological single use plastics consumption, and how this dispersion has infiltrated our oceans, our minds and our bodies. The performance tells the story of a vigilante mermaid who is half activist-saleswoman-professor and half sea-goddess: a post-modern Yemanjá-descended eco-crime fighter who lives in a tent on the beach.
This performance aims to poetically promote dynamic dialogue around the crisis of what many call one of the biggest threats to our biosphere: The plastics pollution and acidification of our planet’s oceans. The work is designed to exist, free of charge, in a public space where people have independently congregated to enjoy the ocean, but can also be presented indoors in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
The first version of the scenic work was premiered in Miami in August 2015 (Spanglish version) with support from the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami Light Project and FUNDarte, and took place at two different beach locations east of the dunes on Miami Beach. A fully Spanish verion was presented at the Havana International Theater Festival in the foyer of the Teatro Trianón on Calle Linea with further support from FUNDarte and Teatro El Público in the Fall of 2015. In January 2016, a Portuguese version was presented as part of socio-environmental events of the Capoeira Association of Paraguassu, on Itaparica Island, Gamboa, Vera Cruz. In May 2016, a beach-based version was presented on Praia da Gamboa on the Island of Itaparica in Brazil, also performed as part of The Federal University of Bahia's Geo-Science School's Oceanography Week.
This project was supported primarily by the Post Graduate Program of Performing Arts of the Federal University of Bahia, under the advisement of Professor Suzana Martins, and has most recently received production and touring support to travel to 10 beaches in the State of Bahia, Brazil by the Bahia State Secretary of Culture (Secretaria de Cultura do Estado de Bahia / SECULT) in 2016 for a 2018 activities.
Other modified performances of this work have been presented in Wynwood, Miami at the Wynwood Walls as part of the Environmental Grant Makers Association, at Viscaya Estate and Gardens as part of FIU’s Fragile Habitat Series in 2016, and at schools, parks and beaches.
The Mermaid Tear Factory (2015-2019)
New Smyrna Beach, FL | Foto: Aruma
A Praia da Gamboa, Itaparica | Foto: I. Grimaux
Rio Penha, Itaparica | Foto: E. Doud
Praia da Gamboa, Itaparica | Foto: A. Santana
A woman dressed as a mermaid sitting on a stool on a beach under a makeshift tent with hanging toys and objects, with the ocean and a cloudy sky in the background.
A pile of discarded children's toys, including dolls, plastic shoes, a toy car, and various other plastic objects on a tiled floor.
A beach scene with a colorful, artistic installation featuring a woman with long red hair and painted face, surrounded by hanging fabrics, painted signs, and beach debris.
Poster for an event titled "A Fábrica de Lágrimas de Sereia" featuring a mermaid illustration, event details including date, time, and location, and contact information with email and phone numbers. The poster also includes images of trash and painted rocks.
Beach scene with colorful plastic trash scattered on sand, a small makeshift shelter labeled 'PLASTIC,' and toys and debris blowing in the wind, indicating pollution.
A hand-drawn sketch of a circus tent with vertical and diagonal stripes, with a small flag at the top.
Woman dressed as a mermaid sitting inside a beach tent on the sand at the beach, with a small tent and decorative vases next to her.
A woman dressed as a mermaid in a costume, striking a fierce pose with her arm raised, inside a tent or enclosure with scientific posters in the background.
A black seashell lying on sand surrounded by small rocks, shells, and green seaweed.
Person dressed as a mermaid standing on a sandy beach with rocks and patches of seaweed, holding a rake and wearing a blue crown and flowing dress, with a clear blue sky and horizon in the background.
Underwater photo capturing the splash and motion of a wave breaking, with water and foam in shades of blue and white.
A woman dressed as a mermaid with red hair, blue makeup, and a seashell bra, sitting on the beach under a makeshift structure made of ladders and fishing nets, surrounded by various bottles and bottles of paint.
Blue banner with white text and illustrations, promoting environmental awareness and biodegradable gifts in Salvador, Brazil. Features a large drawing of a woman with long hair, surrounded by waves, and includes guidelines for eco-friendly gift wrapping.
A person with face paint and shell jewelry relaxing on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.
A performer with red hair, sitting on a table covered with blue fabric, holding a phone in one hand and raising the other arm. The performer is wearing blue patterned tights and a top in a theatrical setting with a backdrop of art and clutter, including a sign in Portuguese that says 'Não jogue o lixo aqui, obrigado'.
A mermaid mannequin on a stage, with a diver's helmet for a head and a fish tail, performing for a crowd in a room with checkered floors and white walls.
A woman with long red hair doing a yoga pose on a blue yoga mat inside a tent at the beach. She is on her hands and feet with her hips raised and head lowered, smiling while facing the camera. There are craft supplies and decorative items on a table nearby.
A table with a black tray filled with small toys, a blue cup, and white sea shells. In the background, a tent and a whiteboard are visible on a sandy beach.
Black and white newspaper page with text and a small grayscale photograph showing a person holding a sign with writing. The headline reads "PERRO CUBIERTA" and includes additional Spanish text, English translation, author name, and page number.
A woman wearing a blue dress and a birthday hat laughing as she holds a small plastic doll on a beach covered in trash including plastic bottles, cups, and debris, with green mossy rocks and wet sand in the background.
A woman standing outdoors beneath clotheslines filled with colorful plastic bags and bottles amid a cloudy sky.
A large amount of plastic trash and debris scattered on a sandy beach with green algae, with a rake held by a person sticking out of the debris. The background shows a flat shoreline, blue sky with clouds, and a distant horizon.
Woman on a beach dressed as a mermaid, wearing black goggles, blue lipstick, and blue gloves, holding a sign that reads "Sea Shells" and a plastic bag with sea shells, with a net and sandy beach in the background.
A person dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid with long red hair and blue lipstick, posing on a beach with a vibrant, carnival-like display of decorations, toys, and a sign in Spanish.
Woman dressed as a mermaid with a blue tail, wearing a seashell bra, sitting on a beach platform, pointing at a whiteboard with a writing about sea shells and plastic in the ocean, seaside background.
A person dressed as a mermaid with red hair, a green dress, and a blue tail, performing on a beach with colorful decorations, a small tent, and toys scattered around.
A woman with red hair and blue lipstick in an outdoor setting, surrounded by a cart filled with various items, including a rolled-up poster, netting, and bottles. Several people are in the background near trees and a decorated wall.
Colorful gravel and seashells on a sandy beach with the ocean in the background and a partly cloudy sky.
A human hand with fingers spread out, painted or stained with blue color, against a light-colored wall.
A person with red hair wearing a mesh net over their head, holding a pink cup, with various buckets and containers around, and string lights hanging on a wooden fence in the background.
Woman in a turquoise strapless gown and crown standing on a beach among maritime waste and decorations, reading a sign about plastic pollution, with a boat in the background.
A person with the tail of a fish lying on a sandy beach, surrounded by bottles and objects.
A woman with long red hair in a green dress holding a red object, with the word 'REBEL' written on her arm, standing in front of mementos hanging from a structure and a volleyball net.
A person with face paint and blue glitter, flexing arm muscles against a green wall, with the words 'WE ARE DOING IT' written above.
A collection of plastic bottles, ropes, and fishing nets scattered on a surface, mainly in blue and green colors.
A cluttered shelf with a pink plastic hanger, blue plastic bottle cap, a red brick, and various colorful plastic items.
A covered outdoor space with laundry hanging to dry, a green door, and various household items scattered on the floor.
A person dressed as a mermaid with a red wig and blue tail practicing on a beach, surrounded by colorful hanging decorations.
A woman with dark hair and blue makeup, dressed as a mermaid, is talking on a cell phone on a beach. She is surrounded by a makeshift pirate ship with blue bottles hanging from the netting, a ladder, and a tent. There is a boat in the water in the background.
