In the middle of campus, a woman is sitting in a little black box, switching personalities every few minutes — and no one watching seems concerned. But the black box is a theater and the woman is not crazy — she is Linda Shkreli, communications studies doctorate candidate.
“What Are You Trying to Tell Me?” is Shkreli’s University performance production debut, playing in the HopKins Black Box Theatre in 137 Coates Hall from March 2 to March 6.
The theater gives University students and faculty a chance to perform about 12 productions each year, said Ruth Bowman, Black Box Board member.
The board selects which productions will be performed each semester, Bowman said.
Shkreli applied for this performance a year ago, and after a year of preparation, the show is finally being carried out.
Shkreli said her self-written project is her first solo performance and first project of this size and caliber.
Shkreli said she becomes several dozen characters in the hour long performance.
The show is a series of 30 vignettes, or very short scenes, linked together by concepts rather than theme, Shkreli said.
“I didn’t feel like I could write this show in a traditional form,” Shkreli said. “I needed room to be messy and cohesive — the way I feel about language.”
Shkreli said the show’s main concept is the trouble people have with communication.
“It’s me trying to sort out how we all use language to craft our lives,” Shkreli said.
The show deals with tough questions by way of comedy, Shkreli said.
“I’m exploring the terrain of what is and is not funny and what that has to do with the way we communicate,” Shkreli said. “I was very careful to marry comedy, absurdity and tragedy.”
The show is a clever mix of philosophy and comedy, said Trish Suchy, director of audio-visual arts in the department of communication studies.
“Linda is incredible — smart and very funny,” Suchy said. “She’s kind of [like] Lucille Ball doing philosophy.”
The theatre is simple — two old classrooms combined into one with black walls, Suchy said.
The University’s performance studies program is one of only seven in the nation, Bowman said.
“We’ve become quite well known because we maintain the practical experimental process,” Bowman said.
The HopKins Theatre, named after its founder Mary Francis HopKins, is on the cutting edge of performance art and performance theater academics. It has developed a national reputation since it opened 12 years ago, Suchy said.
“Grad students come for research — this is our research lab,” Suchy said. “Our space is a laboratory and our students are encouraged to experiment.”
Students and faculty use the theater to perform and interpret literature, theories and their own ideas, Bowman said.
“That’s how contemporary theory manifests itself in living bodies,” Bowman said.
Performances are almost always written by performers and open auditions are strongly encouraged, Suchy said.
The audiences know about and appreciate the experimentation although some may be confused at first, Suchy said.
There is no admission charge, but donations are suggested.