Photo Flash: Celebrities In Disguise Reveal Deep Secrets In INTANGIBLE ADORATIONS

The first of five anonymous celebrities took to the stage for opening night of Intangible Adorations: Experience The Icon on Saturday October 12th to the delight of a select audience of VIP guests. The show explores the impact of celebrity worship on the mental health of the famous, and those who become infatuated with celebrity. Audience members gathered in the Hall of Celebrity, watched a VIP screening of a short film about the creation of The ICON, and then encountered a celebrity whose identity was concealed in a morph suit who revealed their deepest secrets connected to their own mental health in the Red Chapel. On Saturday, the ICON nearly revealed their identity. Although they did not remove the morph suit, they did pose for photographs and signed autographs to allow guests a chance to try and guess out who it was.

House of Dada founder Lisa Wegner has been working in partnership with the Rendezvous With Madness Festival, Tangled Arts + Disability, Forever Epic Films, Workman Arts, Summerworks, and The Worldwide Institute of Radical Artistic Performance to bring both audiences and celebrities an unusual chance to interact.

When asked what inspired this idea, Lisa explained that after suffering from severe PTSD, she discovered working through a morph suit was an effective way of creating expression with a sense of freedom and anonymity. A rather famous friend (who asked to remain anonymous) asked if they could try on the suit and take her place at a performance last year. She said yes. The performer had such a great time that they told friends about the experience, and an exploration began as to how it might be possible to have celebrities come to Toronto and perform in a way that allowed them to be famous and anonymous at the same time.

A pilot project using this premise called The Icon Experience quickly sold out at the Toronto Fringe this past summer, and Intangible Adorations: Experience The Icon was immediately programmed for the Rendezvous With Madness Festival.

The project includes concept development by Lisa Anita Wegner and Scott White, lighting effects by Carl Elster, music by Pink Moth, with production assistance by K.C. Cooper and Meek and stage management by Ciaran Federico.

Performers include 5 different anonymous celebrities plus Lisa Anita Wegner, Jane Smythe and members of the Workman Arts Performance Art Ensemble including KC Cooper, Emily Gillespie, Amy Loucareas, and Meek. This project is supported through the Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance fund.

A panel discussion with creators Lisa Anita Wegner and Scott White, and moderated by Lisa McKeown will take place on Saturday October 19th after the final performance. The discussion will touch on the nature of modern celebrity culture, celebrity worship syndrome and the origins of this version of Intangible Adorations. The panel will also discuss the significance of Lisa's journey with mental and physical health, the relevance of finding anonymous expression, and how this piece fits into Lisa's larger universe of therapeutic performance and film work.

There are four shows remaining. Tickets are between $12 and $20 with 10 PWYC tickets held at the door every night. Only 50 tickets per performance are available.

Remaining performances INCLUDE: Tuesday October 15th @ 6:30 PM, Wednesday October 16th @ 8:00 PM, Friday October 18th @ 7:00 PM and Saturday October 19th @n2:00 PM

Performances begin at the box office at Workman Arts Chapel 651 Dufferin Street Toronto, Ontario

For more information on the event go to:

https://workmanarts.com/rwm-events/intangible-adorations/

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