MAKING DO
adapted by Daniel Cohen from Italo Calvino

Making Do was a physical, ensemble-devised adaptation of Italo Calvino’s fable about a society stripped of freedoms until only one game—Tip Cat—remains. When the game is finally outlawed, the people revolt, overthrow their rulers, and blindly return to playing, revealing the cycle of repression and complicity.

Developed through Viewpoints and structured improvisation, the piece featured archetypal characters inspired by Richard Avedon’s photography and was performed almost entirely without dialogue. Designers contributed props and costume pieces during rehearsal, which were integrated into the storytelling. The result was a ten-minute, visually driven performance exploring the tension between power, conformity, and resistance.