In 1965 LIFE magazine published an astonishing photo essay of two New York City junkies, John and Karen, shot by iconic photojournalist Bill Eppridge. These pictures, the most controversial that LIFE had ever published, shocked readers by bringing the grim reality of addiction into the American living room. Inspired by these photographs, LIT’s creative director Carlo D’Amore explores the potential immersive theater has as a tool for empathic connection. With Live In Theater these photographs will now come alive.

NEW YORK CITY – The infamous “Needle Park” is the backdrop for an interactive journey where fourteen participants (YOU) are immersed in the world of John and Karen. You will traverse the Lower East Side and play roles: friends, family, fellow drug addicts, as you bond and become complicit in the love story at the heart of these “two lives lost to heroin.”

Note: This is an 80-minute outdoor experience, performed rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to move. Large bags/backpacks are not recommended.
Live In Theater – Come play with us!

More than fifty years ago, a young couple living in Manhattan’s Upper West Side gave America one of its first looks at life controlled by heroin addiction – a sad reality that would only make more mainstream appearances as the problem claimed more victims. John, 24, and Karen, 26, appeared picture-perfect on the surface, but secretly lived shrouded in fear and shame. As their addictions spun out of control, they became in their own words, “animals in a world no one knows.” Their story was brought to light in LIFE magazine in 1965 by notable photojournalist Bill Eppridge – best known for his coverage of the Bobby Kennedy assassination. Eppridge published a powerful photo essay that documents the couple’s debilitating dependence on the drug, and their desperate fight for survival as they sought a steady supply in New York’s “Needle Park.” That essay is the inspiration behind director Carlo D’Amore’s chilling new interactive production in the Lower East Side. Live in Theater’s J&K 1965 makes you an active witness to John and Karen’s struggle, and offers an up-close-and-personal view of addiction’s painful prison. After gathering near Sara D. Roosevelt Park, D’Amore introduces the …Read more