T41:ESP Theatre for One: Extrasensory Performance, Princeton Atelier, May 2007.

In collaboration with magician Steve Cuiffo (the magician whose effect lit the idea of Theatre for One), and Dramaturg Michael Cadden, I worked with students as part of the Princeton University Atelier program. Steve and I went into the project with the intention of using Theatre for One to explore ESP, and discovered that the university was home to the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) Lab **. Their research, particularly related to the role emotional resonance plays in the interaction of human consciousness with random physical processes, was inspirational to our work, which manifested in a single performance. The students: Annabelle Beaver, Julia Cain, Will Ellerbe, Duygu Gozeler, Daniel Hawkins, Andy Hoover, Erica McGibbon, Annie Preis, and Zach Zimmerman performed and wrote original pieces for the event. Time limitations and our desire to share the work with a larger audience than One, caused us to shape our performance into an experiment led by Steve, which examined, not only the effects of an enhanced Theatre for One space on magic and intimacy, but also the role an outside viewing audience with intentional focus could have on what transpired. Audience members were given pencils and booklets to use in executing specific tasks designed to direct their focus. Individuals were randomly selected to enter Theatre for One and view the performances which were simultaneously projected on two screens outside of the booth. Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne, the founders of PEAR, were in attendance during the performance and monitored the degree of resonance in the room at different times with a Random Event Field Generator. Visit the PEAR website at http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/to learn more about their work.
 

LOT-EK, Ellen Goellner (Atelier Director), True Love Productions, Paul Muldoon (Atelier Chair), Toni Morrison (Atelier Founder), Chris Wiggins (T41 Construction), Penny Omoto (Lighting Design), Jane Cox (Lighting Consultation), Darryl Waskow (Production Manager), Jennifer Birge (Project Manager), Tim Godin and Bill Wilson (Carpenters), Allen Grimm (Master Electrician), Kathy Fabian (Interior Upholstery), McCarter Theatre (Equipment Lending), Gian Marco LoForte and Ioannis Sochorakis (Cardboard Mock up Builders), Sara Walsh and Diana Bibee (Painters), Cathy Cann (Costume Support), Julia Cain (Sound Design and Stage Manager), Louis Scheeder (NYU Adjunct Faculty Grant), Danny Bright (Photographer), John Huntington (Technical Consultation), Michael Cadden, Steve Cuiffo, Brenda Dunne, Robert Jahn, and Amy Rubin, must all be thanked for their participation and support.

[back to HISTORY page]