In & of Itself

As many have said, go in knowing as little as you possibly can. All I can think of put down here is this brilliantly written and designed theater-magic-show-cinema-confessional hybrid is about how labels create us (or may try) and how we either stick to them or transcend them. Are you the dog, the wolf, or in that space in between? You're still somebody's son, or mother, non? What Id also add is Delgaudio is a master showman, but his greatest skill as an artist is empathy and connectivity. I can't explain what he does (the letters most of all), and I don't want to. It is perceptive on a level that I can't put into words, except to add that in the 21st century, when everyone in life (or especially online) gets pigeonholed, it is.... necessary.

I haven't been at all religious in my life, but.... Is this what it's like to believe in the unbelievable? Oh, and a late-era masterpiece from Oz, who I wasn't sure would return to filmmaking but, my god, the editing and mix of animation really does a trick here as well.

First of all the cover image of the video is of my wife and me when we saw this in NYC. We loved the show live and think the movie has found a way to capture the essence of the live performance. My wife had said it best this is her review:

It really is a raw and powerful show. I don't think anyone can watch this show and not be affected by it. So many of the people in the audience were deeply moved, and some were brought to tears. Derek is deliberate in his presentation, he is piercing in his gaze, he uses silence as well as words, and when he does speak, you are hanging on every word. Oh, and he's incredibly talented too. I chose I AM a dreamer. Edmund chose I AM a trickster, but seeing what some people chose for themselves was at times beautiful, funny, and incredibly sad. Fantastic show. 522 shows.

Derek will take you on a journey. If you like questioning preconceived notions of identity, being, self, and labels -Please watch this without knowing ANYTHING about it. You will be left knowing more about who you are.

Let me tell you a story, are you sitting comfortably, then I'll begin. Stop reading and just watch, why do you need other people's affirmations? The consensus says... Who cares?

It is truly marmite. Some will love it's affirmations of self, that we all long to be seen and take joy in the message. Others will see through it's emotional trickery and slight of hand Tom foolery and walk away with nothing. For those people I feel truly sorry.

Losses one star because the medium would be more powerful in person and now I've seen this I can never experience it for the first time in real life. For which I feel sadness. Excellent performance.

Man, I wish I lived in New York... At times, I thought this magic act/one-man show might be the most pretentious thing I've ever seen; by the end, I thought maybe the pretension lies in me, arrogantly thinking my ability to discern meaning from someone else's work is what gives it value. That's how powerful this is; that segment/trick at the end alone, of Derek "seeing"/" naming" every audience member, was undeniably breathtaking.