Nonsense Lab

A three-week performance festival of new work that explores the theme of Nonsense.

Let Me Be an Animal
Choreographed by Caroline Fermin
September 18, 26, 27 at 7pm; September 19 at 4pm; October 2 at 9pm; October 3 at 2pm
In a society filled with algorithmic dead ends, deepfakes, and trends like biohacking and min-maxing, what makes a human a human is freshly up for debate— again. Online and in life, we are shown potentials for optimizing the human body at an exhausting rate. Let Me Be An Animal is about slowing down, giving up some control, and celebrating the exquisite nature of human responsiveness. Collaborators include composer and musician Robert Boston, foley arrangements by Trey McGee, and performers Thy-Lan Alcalay, Lauren Aureus, Miranda Blumanstock, Nova Persio, and Alexis Vinzons.

We’ll Jump Off That Bridge When We Get There
Created and Directed by Adam M. Kassim
September 17, 20, 25 and October 2 at 7pm; September 26 and October 3 at 4pm
It’s a disorienting and fractured world – history is manipulated, documents are shredded, and even knowledge is lynched. As the trash piles up, how do you find connection in a system created to isolate? Better hold onto your neck! We’ll Jump Off That Bridge When We Get There is a theatrical event that blends history, pop culture, and current news to explode the chaotic nonsense in which we find ourselves. Collaborators include designer Brian Lady and an ensemble of 5 performers.

The Charnel House
Created and Performed by Kathleen Kennedy Tobin
September 19, 24 and October 1, 3 at 7pm; September 20, 27 at 4pm
In The Charnel House, shadow puppetry and toy theater explore memories of past lives reflected in every corner of our city. The artifacts of history pile up and are crushed beneath our feet. Look, we continue to love in the time of apocalypse and search for a human and humane world amongst the rubble. Collaborators include composer Eamon Goodman and an ensemble of puppeteers.

One-time music and artistic events enrich the program. On Tuesday, September 22, TMT Community Café for the Nonsensical will feature a collective reading of Entertainer Zero Machine: A Cyber Peep Show Lyric of Illegitimate Theater by Ron Allen. Saskia Lane leads our Nonsense Music Night on Monday, September 28 and Theresa Buchheister assembles a Nonsense Performance Night on Wednesday, September 30. Both Saskia and Theresa will curate a gathering of artists to offer a confetti cannon of nonsense in all its artistic forms.