Nothing Human Is Alien to Me
a co-devised, interactive play– written by Faith Hart, Bobby Halverson, Adelaide Leonard, and Amelia Hernandez– exploring the sensorial experiences of the human body and the way shared senses forge connection between people. directed by Faith Hart, this project was mounted as part of The Theatre School at DePaul University’s Prototypes: Festival of Student Work.
director’s note:
the great Roman playwright Terence wrote, “I am human: nothing human is alien to me.” these words challenge and provoke. can empathy transcend, or even just gently dip its toe beyond the borders that differing life experiences build up between us? in an age of endless, chasmic divide, is there still a place for common ground and understanding? could the place be here?
the human body is perhaps the only true baseline in the search for common ground, though it’s not a perfect one. Some bodies are subjected to racial, sexual, and gender politics. our bodies are a complicated web of pain and strength and story, each of them still somehow fully perfect. their differences are beautiful and expansive in a way we could never fully understand the vastness of. but still, if you breathe or get a little sweaty on your walk to school or feel your heart skip a beat every once in a while, you know a little something about what it’s like to be me. and maybe, since I’ve skinned my knee and been soaked in the rain and had a stuffy nose, I know a little something about what it’s like to be you.
I’m thankful you walked into the room— to listen, experience, and be a part of whole. may you never have to elbow your way in.