Activating the Labyrinth: A Performance for Two People in Three Parts

Much like the Cottingley Fairies photographs that blurred the lines between fantasy and reality, artists Elana Adler and Patricia Brace venture into the woods to create their own kind of magic—this time by activating the 14-year-old labyrinth on the University of New England’s Portland campus through a trilogy of walking performances. Rooted in the meditative tradition of labyrinths—ancient structures with a single, guiding path—this collaborative project emerges from a shared conversation about failure and the paralysis often felt in the face of political uncertainty. By engaging with the elements of water (ice), air (leaf), and earth (stone), the artists move slowly along the pine-needle path in a somatic, reflective ritual that emphasizes grounding, presence, and connection—to each other, the land, and their fellow walkers. In the final act, audience members are invited to join the journey, placing stones at the labyrinth’s center as a quiet, collective monument to care, slowness, and shared intention.