The Universe is a Small Hat is a multi-player participatory musical about a space-bound collective of sentient androids who rescue a group of human refugees trying to escape Earth. Audience members immerse themselves as the human characters in a co-created musical story about weathering calamity and imagining coexistence across difference.
Book, Music, Lyrics and Experience Design
by César Alvarez
The Universe is a Small Hat tells the story of Futuremagic, a collective of independent, decommissioned and fugitive androids who have gathered resources to leave Earth on a refurbished spacecraft: The Pendulum. Their plan is a radical and unusual act of nonhuman independence. On the day of their departure a group of humans have been stranded at the same spaceport. As word spreads that a “robot ship” is prepared to launch, the humans rush The Pendulum in a desperate attempt to gain passage. In Episode 1 all of the humans go through a training and screening process in order to board, they learn the story of Futuremagic and launch into space. In Episodes 2 and 3, some years have passed and the humans and AIs work to coexist and confront a powerful non-human visitor to their ship.
LISTEN:
Maxwell Xu as Safety Pal | photo by Jonathan Sweeney
DEVELOPMENT:
2012-13
Developed in the Civilians R&D Group.
2013
Play test at Berkeley Rep Ground Floor
Play test at S. Oxford Space in Brooklyn, NY.
Play Test at PRELUDE in NYC
2014
Concert Reading at Joe’s Pub
Play test at Silent Barn in Brooklyn, NY
2014-15
Developmental Production at Babycastles NYC
2015
Developmental Production at Sarah Lawrence College
2020 Developmental Production at Princeton University (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
photo by Jesse Untracht-Oakner
MEDIA:
Building the Future with Gaming and Participatory Theater in Extended Play
Leave Earth Behind in “The Universe is a Small Hat” in Coolhunting
In February 2017 I went to Norway to talk to designers of live action role play (larp) about making a participatory space musical. I talked about musicals, participatory theater and transforming the civic sphere with art. I’ve taken three trips to Scandinavia since 2014 to research and collaborate with the folks in the Nordic Larp scene.
You can watch the talk here:
PHOTOS:
The Universe is a Small Hat at Babycastles in 2015
photos by Jesse Untracht-Oakner
Eric Farber
Nora Sørena Casey
Sophie Nimmannit
Molly Pope
Sophie Nimmannit, Molly Pope and Marisa Clementi
Andrew R. Butler
The Universe is a Small Hat at Sarah Lawrence in 2015
photos by Jenny Sharp
Molly Stricker
Carolina Ordoñez
KG Garlington
Hye Young Chyun
Audience Member
Rachel Davoren and Sarah Scholl
Magdalen Zinky
Hye Young Chyun
The Universe is a Small Hat
Play Test at Berkeley Rep Ground Floor 2013
photos by Nora Mericicki
COLLABORATORS:
The Universe is a Small Hat is still in development, but this is the community of artists who have been part of its growth so far. Please send corrections!
César Alvarez began working on The Universe is a Small Hat in the Spring of 2012 while at A.R.T. performing in FUTURITY.
The Universe is a Small Hat was first developed as part of the 2012/13 Civilians R&D Group.
It had its first play test at Berkeley Rep Ground Floor in the summer of 2013. Cast: César Alvarez, Nora Sørena Casey, Safiya Fredericks and volunteers from the Ground Floor staff and community. Directed by Sarah Benson. Game Designers: Ivan Safrin and Syed Salahuddin.
The Universe is a Small Hat had its second play test on July 14, 2013 at South Oxford Space in Brooklyn. Cast: César Alvarez, Nora Sørena Casey, Ben Simon, Maddy Bersin, Shannon Sullivan, Eric Farber, Clifton Duncan, Ivan Alexander, Jocelyn Kuritsky and Storm Thomas. Directed by Sarah Benson. Game Designers: Ivan Safrin and Syed Salahuddin.
The third playtest was at PRELUDE Festival in Manhattan on October 2nd 2013. Cast: César Alvarez, Nora Sørena Casey, Richard Crawford, Ethan Dubin, Eric Farber, Lilleth Glimcher, Mark Mauriello, Sophie Nimmannit, Erynn Sosinski, Storm Thomas, Andrew Hoepfner, Lorenzo Wolff, and Jacob Brandt. Directed by Sarah Benson. Game Designers: Ivan Safrin and Syed Salahuddin.
Two days later it was performed in an altered version as part of Sophie Nimmannit and John Leo's wedding at Judson Memorial Church.
The Universe is a Small Hat was performed in concert on May 20 and 21, 2014 at Joe's Pub. Band: César Alvarez, Eric Farber, Sam Kulik, Daniel Alexander Jones, Julie LeMendola, Molly Pope, Chris Stromquist, Lorenzo Wolff.
The Universe is a Small Hat had its fourth play test on May 27, 2014 at Silent Barn in Bushwick. Cast: César Alvarez, Marisa Clementi, Molly Pope, Julie LeMendola, Sam Kulik, Daniel Alexander Jones, Eric Farber, Lorenzo Wolff, Chris Stromquist, Erynn Sosinski, Storm Thomas, Andrew Farmer and Lizzie Stark. Directed by Sarah Benson. Game Designers: Ivan Safrin and Syed Salahuddin. Choreographer/Associate Director: Sam Pinkleton. Dramaturg/Associate Producer: Nora Sørena Casey.
The Universe is a Small Hat was performed 9 times at Babycastles Gallery between October 2014 and January 2015. Cast: César Alvarez, Andrew Butler, Nora Sørena Casey, Marisa Clementi, Andrew Farmer, Lilleth Glimcher, Sophie Nimmannit, Molly Pope, Wil Petre, Storm Thomas, Eric Farber, Andrew Hoepfner, Sam Kulik, Chris Stromquist, Jillian Jetton, Taylor Edelhart. César Alvarez: Co-Director. Sam Pinkleton: Co-Director/choreography. Sarah Benson: Consulting Director. Mimi Lien: Set Design. Masha Tsimring: Lighting Design. Ivan Safrin: Creative Technologist. Brandon Wolcott: Sound Design. Eric Farber: Kinetic Percussion Design. Emily Orling: Costume and Make-up Design. Amanda Spooner, Hannah Sullivan, Melanie Lisby: Game Masters. Ivan Safrin, Stephen Clark, Ben Johnson: Creative Technologists. Nathan Shreeve: Producer. Patti Miller: Associate Producer. Meredith Ries: Associate Set Designer. Oliver Wason: Associate Lighting Designer. Shawn Kyle: Assistant Sound Designer. Joe Perez: Intake Video. Zara Steadman, Sonja Belakhlef: Project Managers. Ben Johnson: Technologist.
The Universe is a Small Hat was performed 3 times at Sarah Lawrence College in the Spring of 2015. Director: César Alvarez. Cast: Hye Young Chyun, Carolina Ordoñez, Casper Sutton-Fosman, Talia Langman, Julia Josephson, Molly Stricker, Sam Rosen, Miranda Reilly, Rachel Davoren, Sarah Scholl, Claire Flom-Staab, Kaitlyn Garlington, Magdalen Zinky, Niva Alush, Genevieve Waltcherz, Ellen Winter, Eric Farber, Lorenzo Wolff, César Alvarez. Storm Thomas: Associate Director. Sam Pinkleton and Marisa Clementi: Choreographers. Mimi Lien and Meredith Ries: Set Design. Masha Tsimring: Lighting Design. Elliot Davoren: Sound Designer. Emily Orling: Costume Designer. Eric Farber: Kinetic Percussion Designer. Todd Anderson, Stephen Lawrence, Ivan Safrin: Creative Technologists. Nick Hussong: Projections. Claribel Gross, Cécile Bulle, Eliza Anastasio: Stage Managers. Ruth Moe: Producer. Becky Sealander: Production Manager. Julianna Rusakiewicz: Assistant Production Manager.
César Alvarez and Emily Orling
The Universe is a Small Hat was to be performed at Princeton University in Spring of 2020 but was cancelled two weeks before tech due to COVID-19. Directors: César Alvarez and Seonjae Kim. Cast: Grace Huegel, Emily Cruz, Carl Sun, Violet Gautreau. Allison Spann, Ryuki Nakayama, Julien Alam, Maxwell Xu, Tessa Albertson, Daniel Benitez, Molly Trueman, Eli Berman, Jay White, Alaina Ferris, Eric Farber. Shanel Edwards: Choreographer. Alaina Ferris: Music Director. Mimi Lien and You-Shin Chen: Set Design. Jane Cox and Stacy Derosier: Lighting Design. Brian Herrera: Dramaturg. Emily Orling: Costume Design. Ashley Rose Horton: Associate Costume Designer. Eamon Goodman: Sound Design. Eric Farber: Percussion Design. LaJuné McMillan: Technologist. Kay Richardson: Sound Engineer. Nina Runa Essendrop: Experience Design Consultant. Emma Ettinger: Stage Manager. Miranda Allegar: Assistant Stage Manager. Reed Leventis: Design Assistant. Darryl Waskow: Producer. Chloë Brown: Production Manager.
THANK YOU!