A haunting, humorous, yet sincere meditation on spiritual belief, Room Tone draws on touchstone texts by the eminent turn-of-the-century Harvard psychologist William James, and his brother, the novelist Henry James.

While William's approach to the ineffable was scientific, Henry explored the same topic through fiction. Each in his own way, these fathers of modern American philosophy and literature, grappled with how and why religious and spiritual beliefs form — a question that still very much haunts the world today.

With Room Tone, ERS reconceives William's landmark Varieties of Religious Experience as theatrical monologues and Henry's great novella The Turn of the Screw as a disorienting vision. With strangely intimate performances, intricate choreography set to powerfully resonant Balinese gamelan music, sound and lighting design that are both simple and sophisticated, a penchant for slapstick, and innovative staging that takes nothing for granted, we've created a piece that hovers between hallucination and sight, public performance and private reverie.

The result is a tragicomic ghost story — our darkest work yet, literally and otherwise.

PAST PERFORMANCES

• 2001 Ohio Theater
• 2002 Performance Space 122
• 2004 Ohio Theater
• 2004 Flynn Theater, Burlington VT
• 2004 Walker Art Center, Southern Theater, Minneapolis
• 2004 Washington Performing Arts Society, Dance Place, Washington DC

PRESS

Washington Post 12 Apr 2004
A Novel Twist on 'The Turn of the Screw' by Nelson Pressley

Time Out New York 7 Nov 2002
Room Tone by David Cote

Village Voice 6 Nov 2002
The James Gang vs. Sophocles by Charles McNulty

CAST

• Robert Cucuzza
• Rinne Groff
• Maggie McBrien
• Katherine Profeta
• Susie Sokol

Charlie Schroeder originated the role played by Robert Cucuzza

• Directed by John Collins and Steve Bodow
• Lighting by John Collins
• Sound by Michael Kraskin
• Set by Heike Schuppelius
• Choreography by Katherine Profeta and ERS
• Costumes by Colleen Werthmann
• Stage Managed by JoAnna McFadden
• Technical Director John Peruzzi
• Tour Managed by Kate Scelsa