Hear Now with Paul Barlie
Lerner Skyline, May 1, 2004
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Hear no evil
Adam Simon of Ravenswood and Rob Cohn of Lake View have combined to create “The Headphones Tour,” which will be performed Wednesday, May 12, downtown at the Chicago Cultural Center.
"The Headphones Tour" isn’t specifically about music, but it’s auditory by nature. Simon says the idea is to create an environment base on audio stimulation designed to engage the audience in a way that visuals simply can’t.
"We want to expand the limitation of theatre," Simon says. "An actor standing on the stage speaking lines he memorized is not always the most effective way to express the text."
The idea, according to Simon, deals with using the strength inherent in theatre combined with technology typically not used by traditional theatre.
"Instead of putting a traditional performance on stage, we are putting the headphones on the audience,” Simon says. “With a traditional play, the audience member can look away. With the headphones on, it is more difficult to disengage.
After two successful runs, Simon and Cohn are bringing to production back to the city Cultural Center, where they’re going to include actors in the experience.
"These actors are part of the environment we are creating," Simon says. "These aren’t actors who have memorized text and blocking."
Simon says he sees theater as a flexible medium offering a broad variety of possibilities to those interested in seeking them out.
"I’m not going to sit around and complain about people going to the movies and watching television instead of going to the theater.
Simon says, "I am going to maximize on the use of theatre while still using all of the elements technology allows."