 “To know what is serious we must also know what is laughable.” - Socrates
Behind the Mask is a series of vignettes that feature physical comedy, quick-change artistry, and mask magic. The show utilizes half-masked characters that speak, and full masked characters that remain silent while speaking volumes with convincing body language and subtle grace. Masks are worn "outside the face," creating illusions that The New York Times says "tickle some sort of primal funny bone." The show affects audiences in ways that bypass the brain and go straight to the heart.
Behind the Mask addresses themes of personal and professional transformation, employing metaphors that expand the concept of masking to include psychological masks, body language as mask, and "fashion fitness" as identity statement. The characters reveal the tragi-comic troubles humans encounter when they act as if life were simple and appearances were not deceiving. Life is choice: we constantly decide which face to present to the world, and which of our concurrent emotions to reveal.
“Man is least himself when he speaks in his own person; give him a mask and he will tell the truth.”
- Oscar Wilde
“The mask you wear becomes your face.”
- Plato
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