Loyola University Chicago

New Theater Project Shows Great Promise

By Elizabeth Diaz

The Laboratory of Your Mind, created, designed, and directed by David J. Armaral, is a low budget play found at The Building Stage. The main character of the play is a man named Charlie, played by James Economus. Charlie is a quiet, plain, boring man; with the help of 3 researchers, Charlie is forced to understand his personality by digging into suppressed and forgotten memories. These researchers are, in-fact, physical manifestations of the voices in his mind.  By revisiting his past childhood memories- some fun- others painful, Charlie might be able to understand why he is who he is.

At first Charlie seems like a simple man with very little, if any, issues.  Once in Charlie’s mind, we discover the events of his life which made him into a risk averse man locked in his own head.  The question is: Will Charlie be able to safely journey back through his mind and come out the other side a fixed man? 

This play is the first of a New Beast Theater Works project, which fuses film multimedia and traditional theater to explore a new experience for audiences with exciting new stories. 

The play focused on all the little things that happen to Charlie throughout his life which made him the person he was.

Often in stories, we learn about one major catastrophe or event that molded a character’s personality; Instead, Armal focus’ on several smaller events throughout life which have had an affect on Charlie’s personality. This much more realistic depiction of the human mind reminds the audience that the human experience really is that complex.

Multimedia was used to help the audience explore the mind of Charlie alongside him.  This created forward motion and interest while traveling in and out of each memory. Amaral’s ability to relate each suppressed memory to another and the multifaceted effects on personality allowed the audience to see Charlie’s development from childhood, through an organized, and easy to understand map.

The introduction of Charlie’s life long crush, Maggie, allows the audience to see Charlie at work and learn the severity of his over-analytical and self- critical personality. Throughout the play, the audience roots for Charlie in hopes that he will overcome his fears.

One bump in the low-budget show included character development of the supporting roles. The supporting actors playing the researchers occasionally lacked importance. Although the researchers were manifestations of Charlie’s mind, perhaps, more personality in each scientist might have prevented the occasional drift in attention.

While rough around the edges this play is quite satisfying and for only $10 a ticket is worth the price of admission.

Unfortunately, the three week run of this New Beast show is now over, but future productions with a unique fusion of theater and multimedia are in the works within the New Beast Theater Works project.