Land Acknowledgment

© 2022 Topher Lin

Before GO, house lights come up, and Topher takes something from an audience member. Ideally it is food or drink, but if no one is eating or drinking, then get something small but not insignificant—it should feel like a faux pas to keep it—and improvise modifications to the text accordingly.

GO.

TL. I want to take a moment tonight to acknowledge that this beer I am drinking is stolen beer. I recognize that this beer was stolen from the—(to AM) I’m sorry, what’s your name? your full name.

AM. [their name]

TL. Thank you—that this beer was stolen from the [mispronounces AM’s last name] people. Now, I’m not going to give this drink back. I fully intend on finishing it. It would be a whole thing to give it back, I’d have to disentangle what part is now my saliva versus their saliva. It’s very complicated. I’m not going to buy them a new beer. I’m not going to do anything at all, really. I am just reminding you all of the fact that it was very, very wrong of me to steal this delicious (takes a sip), delicious beer.

CURTAIN.

Originally performed on April 1, 2022 as part of The Infinite Wrench and produced by the San Francisco Neo-Futurists.