Transforma Theatre Presents the World Premiere of BIOADAPTED at CultureLab LIC

Transforma Theatre will present the World Premiere of BIOADAPTED, created and directed by Tjaša Ferme (The Female Role Model Project at 3LD/Edinburgh Fringe) at CultureLab LIC (5-25 46th Ave, Queens, NY 11101), September 9-24. 

BIOADAPTED is an interactive investigative documentary with actors portraying real people and scientists, paired with humorous and eerie fictional pieces about what our future might look like if the AI propagates in unethical ways that don't serve humankind. An EEG headset will generate BCI (brain-computer-interface) instructions for the movement of an actor linked with a haptic vest and light patterns of LED lights sewn into the costume. In the grand finale the audience will put GPT-3 on trial and interrogate it directly in real time.

AI regulations and their implementation in government systems concern all of us, and through Transforma Theatre’s process of blending art and science, BIOADAPTED will investigate, interrogate, and educate all while delivering a unique, interactive, science-enhanced experience using technology which will empower audiences to become active decision makers and alert citizens protecting their own agency and human sovereignty.

The text of BIOADAPTED includes excerpts from Singular: Possible futures of the Singularity by James Yu, Affinity by Alexis Roblan, Coded Bias, Future Couples, Part 1 and 2, and Trial of GPT-3 by Tjaša Ferme as well as transcripts of real conversations and interviews sourced from the Science in Theatre Festival Panel after Affinity on 11.12.2021 with MIT fellow and TED speaker Heidi Boisvert, renowned neuroscientist Moran Cerf, WGA nominated playwright and O’Neil finalist Alexis Roblan, author of Synthetic Biology in the Lab Karen Igram, Founding Artistic Director of Transforma Theatre Tjaša Ferme, and Affinity audience members. Additional text has been sourced from The Guardian: GPT-3 essay to humanity, Singular interview with Tjaša Ferme and James Yu on Sudowrite and GPT-3, Bloomberg News interview with Blake Lemoine and Emily Chang, and LamDA transcripts with collaborator Blake Lemoine. 

Performances will take place on Saturday, September 9 at 3pm, Saturday, September 9 at 7pm, Sunday, September 10 at 3pm, Sunday, September 10 at 7pm, Thursday, September 14 at 7:30pm, Friday, September 15 at 7:30pm, Saturday, September 16 at 3pm, Saturday, September 16 at 7pm, Sunday, September 17 at 3pm, Sunday, September 17 at 7pm, Thursday, September 21 at 9:30pm, Friday, September 22 at 9:30pm, Saturday, September 23 at 3pm, Saturday, September 23 at 7pm, Sunday, September 24 at 3pm, and Sunday, September 24 at 7pm. Tickets ($30 General; $23 Students/Seniors/Artists) are available for advance purchase at www.eventbrite.com/e/bioadapted-tickets-665763956917. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission. 

Tjaša Ferme (Creator/Director) is an award-winning actor, playwright, and creator and has received a Slovenian National Film Award and Stane Sever classical stage award. The Founding Artistic Director of Transforma Theatre Inc., dedicated to creating interactive theatrical experiences at the nexus of science, consciousness and ritual, she created The Female Role Model Project, blending interactive theatre with neuroscience and premiering Off-Broadway at 3-Legged Dog and produced at Edinburgh Fringe; the play received a NYITA nomination for Outstanding Innovative Design and Fast Company’s honorary mention for World Changing Ideas Awards. In 2021 Ferme created and produced the sold-out Science in Theatre Festival at NYC’s cell theatre, covered by Forbes and American Theatre Magazine. Tjasa is the creator of the short film Ophelia’s Flip (Cannes Film Festival, 2012), farce stage hit Cocktales - Confessions of a Nymphomaniac (Abingdon Theatre, Miami Art Basel), and interactive solo shows, Wild Child in the City and My Marlene (HERE). Award-winning acting credits include The Upper Room (NYTimes Critics Pick), Three Trembling Cities (Best of Stereable, Toronto, Brooklyn, Philly Web Fests and more), Larry Gone Demon (10 film awards), and Dutch Kills (Best Thriller Manhattan FF). https://tjasaferme.com/ 

Transforma Theatre is a New York based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to create interactive theatrical experiences at the convergence of consciousness, science and ritual. It likes to dive deep in the space where science, human experience and social issues converge, enveloping the audience in an immersive, experiential, interactive experiment, which challenges status quo and opens up new perspectives. Its goal is to pioneer a new form of theatrical expression and develop a close community of artists and scientists instilled with the freedom of thinking and creating in alternative ways.  

Transforma's first piece was The Female Role Model Project which utilized EEG headsets on stage to investigate contemporary gender structures from the perspective of four completely different female-identifying devisers sharing their autobiographical stories through a series of interactive games. FRMP was produced Off-Broadway in NYC's premier hub for arts and technology - Three-Legged Dog (3LD) and at Bedlam Theatre, as part of the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. It received an Honorable mention in the Creativity category of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards and a nomination for the outstanding innovative design at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. It's been called “Gender-and generation-transcending,” “Best 23 Shows of Edinburgh Fringe” by inews and brinkwire, and "Original, thought-provoking, funny, absorbing, GROUNDBREAKING WORK " by Kate Saffin, Fringe Review. 

In November 2021 Transforma created and produced a sold-out Science in Theatre Festival at the cell theatre, featured in Forbes and American Theatre Magazine, featuring 24 artists and 12 scientists; welcoming 400 in person attendees and 40 online. In 2022 SIT moved to a larger venue and featured scientists from South Korea, The Netherlands, Israel and USA, some of which are currently a subject of a new documentary by Laura Wagner, an Oscar-winning filmmaker. They were also able to simultaneously live-stream the performances and reach global audiences. https://transformatheatre.com/

Transforma Theatre is a part of the Culture Lab LIC Emergence Artist Residency program. A residency that offers space, time to realize performance based projects. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Fund, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

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