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 Magic Theatre, Building D
The cutthroat world of funding for scientific research sets the stage for Magic Theatre’s world premiere play, Monkey Room. Written by scientist and playwright Kevin Fisher, Monkey Room is a daring comic drama that explores the extreme measures people take when fighting for their dreams.
“Monkey Room probes a current issue with humor and heart,” said Magic Artistic Director Chris Smith. “Kevin is not only a gifted writer; he is a noted member of the international HIV/AIDS research community. He has created a surprisingly irreverent romantic comedy that never soft-pedals the significance of its subject matter.”
Magic Director of Artistic Development Mark Routhier directs the play, which focuses on the perils of doing cutting-edge scientific research in a hostile funding environment. The lead character is Ava, newly appointed head of an HIV research lab where four monkeys remain healthy despite repeated virus injections.
Ava wants to find out why the monkeys have not become sick in the hopes of developing a breakthrough vaccine that would make her world-famous and save lives. However, institutional politics and academic competition threaten to derail Ava’s plans and her funding support.
Monkey Room is part of the Magic Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation New Science and Technology Initiative. The Sloan Foundation contributed $396,000 for a three-year program to bring together scientific and artistic communities in Northern California and the Western US.
As part of the Sloan Initiative, Magic presents a free panel discussion of experts to explore issues raised in Monkey Room. “Vaccine Dreams: Epidemics, Pandemics, and Monkey Room” takes place Sunday, April 27 at 4:30pm, following a Monkey Room matinee.
Be part of the ongoing dialogue between science and art by attending a performance of Monkey Room. For details, see April 5 and www.magictheatre.org.
— Claudia Willen
Images:
Mark Routhier, Magic's Director of Artistic Development, Art by Evren Odcikin, Kevin Fisher, author of Monkey Room |
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