The Manikins: a work in progress
The Manikins: a work in progress is an interactive drama for a single audience member. The performance turns you, the ticket-holder, into the protagonist of a psychedelic thriller inspired by the writings of Jorge Luis Borges and Thomas Ligotti. Therein, you navigate a labyrinthine conspiracy in which dream and reality become irrevocably intertwined as you are tossed between the enigmatic agendas of the psychiatric staff leading you through a battery of esoteric tests, obscure interrogations, and pivotal decisions.
One of The Stage's top 50 shows of 2023.
"It is hard to get more immersive than this... Genuinely new... An unsettling, dreamlike experience punctuated by sheer delight as the intricacies of Aldisert’s creation revealed themselves."
"... They become rarer as you get older. Surreal moments that have a dreamlike quality... euphoric joy so heightened that the out-of-body experience was physical as well as emotional. This performance shared this quality."
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
The Manikins: a work in progress is an interactive drama for a single audience member. The performance turns you, the ticket-holder, into the protagonist of a psychedelic thriller inspired by the writings of Jorge Luis Borges and Thomas Ligotti. Therein, you navigate a labyrinthine conspiracy in which dream and reality become irrevocably intertwined as you are tossed between the enigmatic agendas of the psychiatric staff leading you through a battery of esoteric tests, obscure interrogations, and pivotal decisions.
Produced by Deadweight Theatre
Written and directed by Jack Aldisert
Performers: Jack Aldisert, Mimmi Bauer, Olivia Steele
Scenography: Min-Chien Feng
Sound and lighting design: Tim Eichelbaum
Props: Kathleen Hefferon
Costumes: Anna Gorman