Deus Ex Machina
Written and Directed by Liz Fisher
Produced by Whirligig Productions, Shrewd Productions and Fusebox Festival
Deus Ex Machina is a live, choose-your-own-adventure performance that gives total control of the play’s storyline to the audience. Written and directed by Shrewd Associate Artist, Liz Fisher, Deus Ex Machina rips characters from Greek mythology and throws them into a gladiator ring. Through the power of Zeus, the audience is transformed into gods and battle it out like clashing titans to determine the fates of the infamous characters of the House of Atreus: Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Electra, and Orestes. But no matter what the audience chooses, there are consequences, and not all of these characters will make it out alive.
Part real world video game, part Tarantino revenge flick, you’ve never seen Greek drama like this before. When was the last time you played god?
Shrewd Productions co-produced this thrilling experiment in theatre with Whirligig and Fusebox Festival in January, 2015 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
Cast
Zeus - Lowell Bartholomee
Clytemnestra - Katherine Catmull
Agamemnon - Matt Davies
Cassandra - Robin Grace Thompson
Electra - Cami Alys
Orestes - Chase Brewer
Aegisthus - Judd Farris
Herald - Justin Scalise
High Priestess - Hildreth England
Priestesses - Kelly Hassandras, Rebecca Pearcy, Jessica Hughes and Dany Casey
Production Crew
Director / Playwright / Producer - Liz Fisher
Assistant Director - Lily Wolff
Stage Manager - Stephanie Delk
Assistant Stage Manager - Emily Rankin
Dramaturg / Producer - Ellie McBride
Producer - Shannon Grounds
Technology Design / Producer - Robert Matney
Technology Design - Tim Thomas
Scenic Design - Justin Smith
Lighting Design - Megan Reilly
Costume Design - Jamie Urban
Video Design - Lowell Bartholomee
Composer / Sound Design - Kenneth Mockler
Movement / Choreography - Kelly Hasandras & Robin Grace Thompson
Fight Choreography - Joseph Garlock
Production Manager - Jeremy Brown
"Experimental." An adjective with the potential to elicit anxiety in even the most seasoned theatregoer. Yes, new work that toys with uncharted modes of storytelling can be a daunting prospect for those who more often seek tried-and-true classics for consumption. But fear not: Director/playwright Liz Fisher's Deus Ex Machinaprovides a highly accessible experiment for anyone with the ability to send and receive text messages."
- Adam Roberts, Austin Chronicle
"What sets Fisher’s work apart from all other productions or offshoot plays about these classical Greek tragedies is the production’s strong embrace of digital technology...And this opens new territories for theatre and the collaboration between performers and audiences. This collaboration is the vital heart of Deus ex Machina ('God out of the machine' in translation)." - David Glen Robinson, Central Texas Live Theatre
Person of Action - Brooks Naylor
Production Assistant - Reagan Tankersley
Production Photographer - Will Hollis Snider
Consultant Beth Burns
Fundraiser Co-producer - Isto Barton
Fudraiser Crew - Rudy Ramirez, Jennifer Coy, Andrea Smith, Jennifer Davis, Amy Minor, Toby Minor, Trey Deason, Kimberley Mead