مهسا بیگلو-I was once Sisyphus
in the beginning, there was only blood and cold...
This performance addresses the issues of sexual assault, harassment, and rape culture in my native country of Iran and in the Unites States. I share my personal experiences and pair them with those of four other performers who have undergone similar experiences here in the U.S., demonstrating the widespread nature of violence against women. The four performers were instructed to write my diary entries on the wall using charcoal. After they completed their task, I entered the space with a bucket of water and performed the Islamic ritual of QOSL, symbolizing the washing of one's body after sexual acts. I then proceeded to "clean" the wall with my wet body as a narrator seated among the audience read a stream of consciousness text, which was based on the dialogues between myself and my attackers.