Created, Directed, and Performed by B Kleymeyer
Co-Directed by Jasmine Roth
As Others Have Before
In As Others Have Before, an artist attempts to deliver a somewhat factual lecture about the life and work of the artist Greer Lankton. As she shares ephemera from Lankton’s archive, the ghosts of her own past begin to haunt the performer. With Greer's help, the performer and the audience work to imagine what they might leave behind and who they will leave it to.
Greer Lankton's archive has brought me comfort and pain, and also has helped me imagine a future for myself.
“(As Others Have Before) invited me out of my comfort zone by asking me to speak in front of others about uncomfortable topics. Exposing us to the material in that way made me more present with Greer’s Story”
- Audience Member
It's like we are haunting everywhere we go. Already ghosts before we die.
How is anyone supposed to know the truth about anyone else?
In 1987, Nan Goldin took photos of Greer Lankton's wedding. These photos now live in galleries and collections, removed from the context of Greer's life. I wanted to know the story behind these photos that have given me hope.
As Other
As Others Have Before was developed with support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Studio for Creative Inquiry, and Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media. As Others Have Before was originally presented at Inter- PGH.
As Others Have Before is a lecture, a ballet, a wedding. A conjuring and a reckoning.