SEASON 15 | SEPTEMBER 2002

The Sun Also Rises in the East

By Brian Shapiro
presented by Cultureworks & VORTEX

Brian lived and taught in New York City at the time of the attacks. His classroom building partially destroyed by falling debris, for months afterward he had to continue teaching just blocks from the wreckage. Like unexpectedly ingesting a strong hallucinogen, witnessing firsthand the events of September 11th created a massive transformative reality that had never before been experienced. In this world premiere solo performance, a satin setting is created to lasso that absurd, scattered, and raw energy and transform it into a visceral world of potential beauty. Brian combines vignettes of dance, storytelling, and theater to reflect the energies, reactions, and sensations associated with 9/11, and converts them into positive transformative possibilities. The vignettes prepare audience members to collaborate with Brian to assemble a space of beauty, reflection, and temporary transcendence, providing a direct experience rarely seen in traditional theater. It is within this shared space that the possibility for growth and positive transformation can occur.

The events of September 11 were divisive and devastating. Like the Kennedy assassination, September 11 left a scar on the American psyche. Brian¹s performance presents the possibility of healing wounds. Please take this opportunity to remember this significant time with others through a theatrical experience.