ArtsEmerson Presents ZOO MOTEL A Live Virtual Performance

ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theater and film and the professional presenting and producing organization of Emerson College, is excited to present Zoo Motel, a virtual theatre offering from November 16 - 21, 2021.

In this live virtual performance, theatre director, designer, and performer Thaddeus Phillips (Red-Eye to Havre de Grace in 2014, 17 Border Crossings in 2017) and artist Steven Dufala (HOME in 2017) transport viewers into a magical hotel room where time stops, objects come to life, and stories begin to emerge from across the globe that all illuminate themes of human existence.

"We are thrilled to continue to offer virtual theatre offerings for audiences in our hybrid 2021-22 Season here at ArtsEmerson," says David Howse, Executive Director at ArtsEmerson. "And what a way to continue presenting virtually with Zoo Motel, continuing our long-arc relationship with both Phillips and Dufala, and allowing our audiences to experience the growth and transformation of their artistic expression."

Zoo Motel is a live theatrical event created for the here and now. Limited to only 25 audience participants nightly who check into virtual rooms, Zoo Motel is an exploration of the possibilities at the intersection of live theater and the magic of cinema. Zoo Motel opened up its virtual doors in September of 2020 and has since become the longest running live theatre work presented via the World Wide Web to spectators from across the world. Its live transmission comes direct from the studio of theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips in Colombia, South America, where he and artist Steven Dufala have transformed the space into a magical motel room where time stops, mysterious and illuminating stories emerge from across the globe, and analog objects take on their own potent meaning.

"Zoo Motel is my translation on how to make a truly live theatrical event performed virtually," explains Zoo Motel creator Thaddeus Phillips. "What began as an experiment became a work that we performed over 250 times to all corners of the Earth, and it is absolutely wonderful to be bringing it to ArtsEmerson, a venue that has been my Boston home for many years."

Tickets for Zoo Motel may be purchased 24/7 at ArtsEmerson.org, or by calling 617-824-8400 (Tue-Sat from 12:00PM ET - 6:00PM ET). For walk-up service, the Paramount Center Box Office (559 Washington Street, Boston) is open Thu-Sat from Noon - 6:00 PM ET. Tickets may also be purchased as part of an ArtsEmerson Season Package, featuring discounts up to 40% off. Groups of 10+ attending a performance save 30%. Thanks to generous support from Rockland Trust, a limited number of $10 Mobile Rush tickets will be available at 10:00 AM ET each performance day on a first-come, first-served basis, exclusively through the TodayTix mobile app.

For more information, please click on "General Public'' when you visit ArtsEmerson's Offers web page.

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