ON EGO

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "On Ego" by Mike Gordon & Paul Broks

Date: Tues, Dec 5,

Quicktake on ON EGO

     The latest reading of from MIT's Catalyst Collaborative, "On Ego" was a drama based on an intriguing question. "How does meat become mind?" How does the complex collection of neurons which make up the brain and the nervous system develop a sense of awareness? The science fiction premise of the play and the relationship between its characters moves it well beyond dry theory. A neurologist who firmly believes that the ego is merely a fiction is participating in teleportation experiments with his physicist father-in-law. During a demonstration, something goes wrong. Instead of his original body being vaporized in the process, a duplicate is created on the other end where he's meeting his wife for an anniversary. To complicate matters, his wife has just been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor which is robbing her of portions of her memory. Protocol demands that the original, which is indistinguishable from the new copy, be destroyed.

     The cast was two founders of the Underground Railway Theater, Alice the wife, played by their artistic director, Debra Wise, and Derek, Alice's father, played by former artistic director, Wes Sanders. The neurologist was played by Stephen Russell, seen with various local companies including WHAT where he produces WHAT for Kids! The production was directed by Jon Lipsky, artistic associate at the Vineyard Playhouse and professor of theatre at BU. The script, called a "theatrical essay" by London playwright, Mick Gordon, was written in conjunction British neurologist Paul Broks, whose nonfiction work "Into the Silent Land" was the play's starting point. A complex multimedia piece as well, the play is still in development.

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"On Ego" by Mike Gordon & Paul Broks, Dec. 4-5

MITA & Underground Railway at Rm 10-250 & Durrell Hall, Camb YMCA

(781) 643 - 6916 URT

MIT Office of the Arts