The Icon Experience at Toronto Fringe

The July 4th and July 9th performances of THE ICON EXPERIENCE are now fully sold out, Toronto audiences will get a rare chance to get up close and personal with a celebrity at this years Toronto Fringe as part of THE ICON EXPERIENCE. But theres a catch the performers identity will be concealed by a morph suit.Response has been so strong, that House Of Dada is looking at presenting a larger version of THE ICON EXPERIENCE in the fall in partnership with the Rendezvous With Madness Festival. Details are being ironed out, but should be released in August.THE ICON EXPERIENCE examines the line between an individuals desire for celebrity and the desire to do something adventurous in a public space while maintaining anonymity. Audiences can register in advance through a website for one of the limited times available. Participants must arrive 15 minutes in advance of their selected time so they can sign a non-disclosure agreement before entering a tent for a 10 minute experience of performance art with an A list celebrity. This is an intimate experience, with only 10 people allowed per performance. At the end of THE ICON EXPERIENCE, participants will be given a card with a website and a secret password that they can sign on with later in the evening. There, they can listen to a disguised voice interview with the celebrity who will give clues to their identity. The performance will be repeated 7 times on each of the selected days. And best of all, thanks to the various partnerships, the performance is FREE.House of Dada founder Lisa Anita Wegner has been working with multiple parties including The Toronto Fringe, Tangled + Disability, The Worldwide Institute of Radical Artistic Performance as well as Workman Arts to bring both audiences and celebrities an unusual chance to interact. When asked what inspired this idea, Lisa explains that after suffering from severe PTSD, she discovered working through a morph suit was an effective way of creating expression with a sense of freedom and anonymity. A rather famous friend (who asked to remain anonymous) asked if they could try on the suit and take her place at a performance last year. She said yes. The performer had such a great time that they told friends about the experience, and an exploration began as to how it might be possible to have celebrities come to Toronto and perform in a way that allowed them to be famous and anonymous at the same time. The result of months of planning is THE ICON EXPERIENCE.The project includes concept development by Lisa Wegner, creative consultation by Scott White, presentation assistance by Jane Smythe and rotating logistics assistance by 5 salon members from the Workman Arts Performance Art Salon. To book a participation time, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-icon-experience-tickets-63064097413 Tickets are currently Sold Out.