“What if you could download your brain?”
One of the two title characters in Troika Ranch’s new creation, The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, is faced with this science-meets-conscience opportunity. Artistic directors-creators Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello are presenting their dance/theater/technology concoction at NYC's HERE through June 18. Performances began June 15.

The Chemical Wedding..., titled after the 17th-Century manifesto which deals with the transformation of the soul, examines the same themes as the esoteric text by way of two separate Christian Rosenkreutzes. The 1459 Rosenkreutz experiments with alchemy (or "chemical wedding") in an attempt to better the world. The futuristic Rosenkreutz of 2050 deals with the aforementioned dilemma of transferring his mind into a working silicon facsimile, while concerned about the existence of his soul.

Two other pieces from Troika will be presented as well; Red People -- two dancers try to keep up with the pace of the world around them, and Six to the End -- an introspection showing how separate directions come together in the end. Central to the works, as with all of Troika Ranch’s productions, are custom-designed devices built into costumes and set pieces, so as to allow the performer control of their onstage environment. All works were conceived and directed by Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello, with costumes by Katrin Schnabl and lighting by Susan Hamburger.

Wedding invites can be purchased for $15 at the HERE Arts Center box office, 145 Sixth Ave at Dominick St. (between Spring and Broome) or by calling (212) 647-0202. June 15 is a benefit performance/party and tickets are $40. Visit Troika Ranch’s website at http://www.troikaranch.org or HERE’s website at http://www.here.org.

--by Ernio Hernandez