I'm participating in a unique evening of theatre soon (Oct 13-15), produced by a science-focused theatre company called Infinity Box. The evening is called Thought Experiments on the Question of Being Human, and the topic is:

"The Science of Changing Your Mind"

This year our special theme is “The Science of Changing Your Mind” and, with the help of the University of Washington Psychology Department, we have invited four scientists and teamed each scientist with a local Seattle playwright. Their collaborations will lead to the creation of four intriguing short plays, each exploring the science underlying : How we make decisions, how we change our minds - or don’t. And what all that might have to do with how to be human - together.

Each year, Thought Experiments on the Question of Being Human examines the impact of a different field on that question. Conversations between scientists and playwrights lead to a festival of original short plays examining how current developments in that field may impact how we answer the question of what it means to be human.

Our plays this year are:
“Pay Attention” by Pamela Hobart Carter
with Geoffrey Boynton, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington
Directed by Rachel Rene

“Hannigan Squee, Department P” by Elizabeth Heffron
with Stacia Dreyer, PhD, Post Doctoral Scholar, School of Marine & Environmental Affairs, UW
Directed by Kathryn Stewart

“The Unlikely Valley” by Scotto Moore
with David Gire, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Washington
Directed by Jane Ryan

“Words for Snow” by K. Brian Neel
with Chantel Prat, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington
Directed by Jon Lutyens

Each evening, following the plays, one of the scientists kicks off a conversation that provides an opportunity for audience members to grapple, in an immediate, visceral way, with the questions and issues raised by the plays.