Inspired by Mark Twain’s morality tale “The Mysterious Stranger,” Another Telepathic Thing is a prismatic and complex dance-theater parable. At once cynical and spiritual, the work centers on a charismatic stranger whose visit shatters the peace of a mythic hamlet. The medieval setting is echoed by a contemporary Hollywood reality, with a script that braids Twain’s sublime writing with “found” text from years of auditions. It culminates in a subtle and startling exploration of the fragility of our human condition. Big Dance Theater’s performance of Another Telepathic Thing was filmed by Demme (The Silence of the Lambs,Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married) in February 2000 at Dance Theater Workshop in NYC. It features performers Tymberly Canale, Stacy Dawson, Molly Hickok, Cynthia Hopkins, Paul Lazar, and David Neumann, with text supervision by Scott Renderer, music by Cynthia Hopkins, set by Joanne Howard, lights by Jay Ryan, and sound by Jane Shaw. The screening at BAC is preceded by a reception at 6:30PM, and followed by a discussion with Jonathan Demme and Annie-B Parson. Another Telepathic Thing was completed in 2015 with funding through provided by Dance Films Association’s Production Initiative, creating opportunities for choreographers to collaborate on high quality film projects, with support from a Rockefeller Foundation Innovation Fund.

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