Kennesaw State To Host Broken Box Mime Theater In A BKBX FRANKENSTEIN

Kennesaw State University's Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) will host Broken Box Mime Theater in the Stillwell Theater for a limited engagement of "A BKBX Frankenstein" on Sept. 8-9 at 8 p.m., with a matinee at 3 p.m. on Sept. 9. Tickets are $12-$20 and are available online or by calling Patron Services at 470-578-6650.

A contemporary physical theatre company that tells original stories, Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) actors rely solely on their bodies and the audience's imagination. Artistic Director and Associate Professor Amanda Wansa Morgan says that physical theatre is important because "it's a unique and innovative way of storytelling that goes back centuries but is rarely used today. It allows us to think outside the box, literally, on how we digest stories."

Made for adventurous audience members ages 12+, the show remixes and riffs on the themes found in Mary Shelley's gothic horror classic: technology, creation, and modern monsters. Stitching together a mix of favorite restaged repertoire with a new cast and fresh interstitials, "A BKBX Frankenstein" is a contemporary delight on an ancient form of storytelling.

The show's centerpiece is BKBX's ode to sci-fi cinema, "Starship Excelsior," which brings a new space opera twist to that famous moment when creator and creation meet for the first time. Even without the words "it's alive," audiences will leave buzzing with new ideas about the dangers of creation, hubris, and what is out of our control.

Morgan explains that when audiences watch a story told without words, it allows for more freedom in interpretation and "each audience member can fill in the gaps and ignite their own imaginations. It's emotionally impactful when patrons are forced to digest information in a way that stimulates the visual sense."

In "Automatic," five actors stimulate the visual sense as they perform a trance-like, dance-like ritual disassembling and assembling a rifle in perfect unison. The work calls on overlapping themes of our hunger for fear, our desire for safety, our idolatry of weaponry, and our comfort in ritual.

A playful-albeit gory-take on the monster of our pop-culture machine, "Boyz Side" is one of the more absurd comedic offerings. It moves from a boy band in mid-choreography to a striptease that, quite literally, cuts to the bone.

Students in TPS will be able to take advantage of BKBX's performance and educational offerings during a two-week residency. The company will also assist TPS students in devising and producing their own show, including original design elements. BKBX provides educational experiences that connect thought, body, and feeling to increase communication, confidence, and positive relationships. Their student-focused work centers on movement-based storytelling, joy, accessibility, reflection, resilience, and the practice of empathy.

Tickets for "A BKBX Frankenstein" are available online or by calling 470-578-6650. To learn more about the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, please visit TheatreKSU.com.

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