New Paradise Laboratories: Prom

was created in conjunction with Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis as a work for young adults. It is a metaphysical look at a particularly American rite of passage ceremony—the Prom. It is loud, insouciant, and moving as it explores, in a sort of fake-anthropological way, the peculiarities and comedies of this strange American phenomenon. The piece is environmental and might best be described as an experience rather than as a play.

The piece was first performed in March of 2004 at the Franklin Art Works in Minneapolis. It has a cast of 20, consisting of eight adult actors and 12 teens. The material of the piece was gathered from the personal experiences of the performers and then massaged into a metaphysic.

The piece was remounted at CTC in 2006, and again in Philadelphia at Drexel University in 2008.

REVIEWS:

"Provocative" TIME MAGAZINE

"(among) the coolest artists of international experimental theatre...conceived as a quasi-athletic competition between high school seniors and their dorky chaperones, the show was an hour-long riff on the institution of prom, full of smartly chosen (and intoxicatingly loud) music and inspired choreography. (This movement ranged from the spasmodic to the nearly balletic, and featured kids being flown around on cranes.)" Minneapolis City Pages

"...the energy and vibrancy of the performances keep this production driving forward at a headlong and infectious pace. From the blaring wall of sound that slaps the audience in the face in the first scene, to the principal's poignant solitary waltz into the past at the end of the show, "Prom" will challenge your assumptions and linger in your memory long after it's over." Minneapolis Star Tribune