A Pi Provocateurs Presentation

Produced by Curtain Razors

created by Johanna Bundon, Jayden Pfeifer, & Lee Henderson

Peter Tripp, a once-celebrated radio DJ, performed a publicity stunt in 1959 wherein he broadcast continuously, for 201 hours, from a glass booth in Times Square. This act was his undoing—he suffered psychological complications from prolonged sleep deprivation, and his increased fame made him a target for investigators who would indict him for commercial bribery in the “payola” scandal of 1960.

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Audiences encounter aspects of ‘Peter’ (or an imagined facsimile thereof) as they are variously inhabited and shed by the performers over the course of the piece. This multitudinous portrayal enacts the altered forms of consciousness a sleep-deprived performer experiences. Narrative, in its broadest sense, is present, but steps aside to allow visual metaphor to lead the conversation.

This ensemble of artists moves fluidly between the roles of performer and technician, activating the performance space for one another. They work in relay to create the images and performance actions, handing off the metaphorical baton to keep the momentum of both the technical aspects and performative actions. And, they enter the arena of Tripp’s myth to research their personal relationships to themes of exhaustion, public failure, and loneliness.

Dates: May 4 - 6, 2023.

Times: 7:30pm evening performances on May 4, 5, and 6th. 2pm matinee on May 6.

Run Time: 75 minutes, no intermission.

Location: The Ballroom - 395 Kingsway st., right next to the 12 Kings Pub. There will be a bright yellow "Pi" sign outside the entrance!

Tickets: $25, including service fees.

* if you have financial barriers which make it difficult to access this event, please do not hesitate to reach out to libby@pitheatre.com and we will help you arrange a ticket free of charge.

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Credits

Created and performed by Johanna Bundon, Jayden Pfeifer, and Lee Henderson.

Documentation by Shelby Fenlon and Lee Henderson

Produced by Curtain Razors, Regina

Original Production of Untitled Peter Tripp Project was supported by SK-ARTS and Canada Council for the Arts.

Image credit: Lee Henderson