David Byrne's "Theater of the Mind" in Chicago revealed
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Rendering of "Funeral" room. Photo: Courtesy of Goodman Theatre
Former Talking Heads frontman and artist David Byrne was in Chicago Tuesday to give the most detailed description yet of the "Theater of the Mind" experience scheduled to open next spring in River North.
The big picture: Byrne and theater director Andrew Scoville, who grew up in Elmhurst, have teamed up with Goodman Theatre to take over a portion of the historic Reid Murdoch building for an immersive experience inspired by neuroscience and history.
What they're saying: "Not everyone perceives things the same way. We don't get into why that is; that comes later. You get a little handout at the end that has all the science," Byrne said at the press conference.
- "You experience the unreliability of your senses and therefore your own memories and your identity, and from what sounds like a negative by the end of the show, we realize that's what allows us to change and evolve and become the people we are."
How it works: Every 15 minutes, groups of 16 enter the space with a guide named "David," but, to be clear, it's not David Byrne.
- The guide is, however, costume-based on a childhood photo of Byrne.
- "David" guides each group through a series of rooms, each of which tells a different story, with one of them utilizing a VR headset.
The fine print: The show is not recommended for kids under the age of 12.
What's next: Tickets for "Theater of the Mind" go on sale Nov. 7, and the experience opens March 11 and runs through May 31. Byrne said he hopes it becomes a permanent fixture of Chicago's theater landscape.
- Tickets are $66-$96.
Zoom out: "Theater of the Mind" first opened in Denver in 2022 and closed the next year, making Chicago the second stop for the experience.