Terrible, Shattering Blows

RATED | PG-13

A Solo Performance Starring Connor Graham

Is truth equal to fact? Do facts exist anymore? What happens when society fails us, and we lean into falsehoods for a comfort? This new, physical-theatre solo performance explores these questions through the lens of the strained relationship between Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. At the height of the raging war on disinformation, a seance is held to connect with spirits on the other side to find answers in turbulent times. Throughout the seance, the audience is guided along the story of Houdini and Conan Doyle, and in doing so, are implicated in the action. These parallel stories weave in and out of each other as the tension crescendos to the point where the characters must choose the right path in order to survive.

My intention is for the audience to leave this play challenging themselves to think about what they believe to be true. My generation was taught at a young age to not believe everything we read on the internet. Now it seems that everyone, young and old, has left this advice behind for their own personal gain. I’m interested in the timeliness, and timelessness, of this piece. The performance seeks to address how conspiracy theories are born, why people believe them, and what the consequences are for individuals and societies when they spread.

Inspired by the book Houdini and Conan Doyle by Christopher Sanford, the propulsion of false information from the Trump administration, COVID-19, the 2020 Presidential election, and the recent passing of James Randi.