CHAOS THEORY is an immersive, game-theater experience that transforms the complex science of chaos theory into a series of playful games and stories exploring the underlying chaos of workplace romance, Jurassic Park, and the ultimate chaos: middle school crushes.
This abstract math seminar builds to “utter beautiful chaos” as the audience is guided by mathematical scientist, Dr. Genevieve Saoch, whose personal life continually, comedically interferes with her objectivity as a Chaologist.
Through a series of multiplayer games, the audience explores the butterfly effect, fractals, and deterministic chaos, ultimately applying what they have learned to the personal chaos in their own lives. Each game begs the question: Is chaos a state of affairs to be wrestled into submission or a blank canvas of unbridled opportunity?
When CHAOS THEORY explores deterministic chaos it doesn’t just talk about deterministic chaos, it is deterministic chaos: A set script (the initial conditions) is quickly altered by audience participation, creating the opportunity for improvisation and widely diverging outcomes, including shows that have resulted in participants falling in love, shaving their heads, calling long lost friends, getting tattoos, adopting pets, and starting companies.
CHAOS THEORY is written and performed by game designer and immersive theater maker Jessica Creane. Jessica is a game design professor at Drexel University and a graduate of The Pig Iron School of Advanced Performance Training. She recently gave a TEDx talk about gamifying chaos in which she cut off 20 inches of hair onstage. Her work has been presented at The Franklin Institute, HERE Arts, Caveat NYC, FringeNYC, BostonFIG, Bandwi/d/th International, and in collaboration with The National Parks Service. Jessica is the founder and CEO of IKantKoan, an immersive theater and game design company creating playful experiences exploring complex subject matter. CHAOS THEORY is directed by Joseph Ahmed and Amy Blumberg, with set and costumes by Evelyn Langley.
CHAOS THEORY begins as a TED-style talk on chaos theory but quickly goes off the rails as the complex science of chaos theory is transformed into a series of playful games and stories exploring the underlying chaos of math equations, workplace romance, Jurassic Park, and the ultimate chaos: middle school crushes.
Audiences are guided by mathematical scientist, Dr. Genevieve Saoch, whose personal life continually, comically interferes with her objectivity as a Chaologist, ultimately applying what they have learned about chaos theory to the chaos in their own lives.
CHAOS THEORY premiered at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and has been presented by FringeNYC, HERE Arts, NYC, and Caveat, NYC.
