Thumbs Up. is the first project in our Posthumous Series.

"Thumbs Up." dances through the life and discography of Mac Miller. Opening with family and friends sharing their responses to his passing, the audience receives a glimpse of what is to come. Not unlike his own music, the work prophesizes the inevitable end to the story. The audience is then taken on a journey through Mac's early years, beginning post-high school graduation, through his early and mid-20s, and ending with his ascension beyond. This somewhat chronological take on the story allows the audience to see how Mac's perspectives and ideologies changed throughout his life. The last 7 "tracks" as we have come to call them, depict the grief of his death and ultimately, acceptance while ending with a warning to "not take the risk" from Mac Miller's father, Mark McCormick.

As a result, we end up with a wonderfully relatable story about life, love, addiction, and death—along with all of the little moments in between. Whether our audience has struggled with addiction themselves, knows someone with a similar story, or experienced loss, they were able to find a connection with a story that is, at its simplest, about growing up.

“Thumbs Up.” was restaged in July 2024 at the Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois. The work was presented through a collaboration between Solarium Dance Company, Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, Steel Beam, and the Kane County Health Department.

The performance weekend dueled as an overdose awareness event, consisting of a free Community Enrichment Evening and two performances of “Thumbs Up.” The Community Enrichment Evening served as a space for community enrichment and connection, featuring an array of activities intended to engage, inspire, and support our community members from all walks of life. The event included an meditative and educational movement class for all skill levels, guided art therapeutic practices promoting well-being and creativity by exploring the healing power of art, a nonprofit spotlight on the Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, and Solarium Dance Company's impactful work on their communities, and performance excerpts of "Thumbs Up."

Participants of the Community Enrichment Evening and audience members of the Saturday and Sunday night performances participated in a talk-back surrounding the topics presented in the performance as well as naloxone training with Ecker Center for Behavioral Health. Kane County Health Department generously provided and distributed free naloxone for each night of the performance and the enrichment evening.