PERFORMERS/CO-CREATORS: Torien Cafferata, Robert Grier, Kelly McTaggart, Kyle Kuchirka, Lauren Younghusband
SCENIC/LX DESIGN: Amberlin Hsu
ASSISTANT DESIGN: Anna Seibel
SOUND DESIGN: Torien Cafferata
STAGE MANAGER: Collin Konrath
VENUE: Persephone Theatre Backstage Stage

Hypneurosis (2016)

After Project O we embarked to play with its opposites: a black box, interactive light instead of a focus on sound, fewer words and more movement, and intimately devised creation instead of independent micro-plays. Hypneurosis began as a mad experiment in Grotowskian physical theatre to explore the complexities of neurodivergence, psychiatry, and pathology with a company of five University of Saskatchewan actors with Cafferata leading direction – eventually also playing a guide for the audience – and Hsu leading design.

In some ways we had more limitations in Hypneurosis than Project O, which incited in us humility and creativity. For example, we wanted another big open space for audiences to roam around in but we could not afford to tear up the risers, so we simply removed the chairs and placed set pieces along our terraced space. In lieu of a technician we performed in a blackout with LEDs operated by performers and audience members. This project was definitely a classic indie theatre lesson in how to make a lot of something from a lot of nothing.

What resulted was another non-linear series of movement vignettes, interspersed with open invitations to the limited audience to choose which stories to see and to share stories of their own, should they desire. We were thrilled to see how eager audience members were to become part of the narrative in our meditative space, and we learned a bit about the challenges and subtleties of guiding and making space for people to share and not to share.