A DIY community performance weaving art, ritual, and resistance

This November, a queer, multi-generational cast of performers will debut an original play at the Lavender Network (440 Maxwell Rd). MEND is a theatrical spell for dismantling empire: featuring multidisciplinary showcases of visual art, song, and rituals that invite its audience to envision a liberated future and participate in collective healing. MEND is a do-it-yourself venture to its core, written and performed by Eugene-based actors and activists.

The costume and set design, alongside original music and narration, help weave a tale of destruction and creation. The story begins with profound loss, and then follows the paths of divergent characters encountering one another on paths of grief and growth as they forge transformative relationships. Using rich costuming, original music, and innovative depictions of the natural world, MEND illustrates through thematic imagery how community care and ultimately resistance can “mend” the destruction imperialism and capitalism invoke.

Playwright Jack Jackson wrote MEND two years ago as a way to process their own despair over the myriad of challenges we face today, hoping to “play pretend we’ve found a better way.” Jackson posits that maybe, if we somatically experience the alternative in play, it will become easier to embody resistance and revolution outside of the theater. MEND is an inspiring testament to radical hope, perseverance, and reciprocity already and always present in community. It is a reminder that as long as we are interwoven with each other, root systems of resistance cannot be weeded out by forces of greed and cruelty. Check out MEND if you’ve grown tired of disaster stories and want to indulge in a story of resilience, for a change.

Performance Dates:

• • November 8, 2025 | 6:00–8:15 PM
  • November 22, 2025 | 4:00–6:15 PM
  • November 23, 2025 | 4:00–6:15 PM

At the Lavender Network: 440 Maxwell Rd, Eugene, OR 97404

Tickets/Donation: $20–$40 suggested donation (100% profits donated to mutual aid organizations*)

• • NOTAFLOF: No one turned away for lack of funds
  • * Black Thistle Street Aid, Pacific Refugee Support Group, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, masks encouraged, scent-free space.