J & K 1965

In 1965, Life magazine published an astonishing photo essay of two New York City junkies, John and Karen, shot by iconic photojournalist Bill Eppridge. These pictures, the most controversial that Life had ever published, shocked readers by bringing the grim reality of addiction into the American living room. Inspired by these photographs, LIT’s creative director Carlo D’Amore explores the potential immersive theater has as a tool for empathic connection. With Live In Theater, these photographs will now come alive.

The infamous “Needle Park” is the backdrop for an interactive journey where 14 participants are immersed in the world of John and Karen. You will traverse the Lower East Side and play roles: friends, family, fellow drug addicts, as you bond and become complicit in the love story at the heart of these “two lives lost to heroin.”