Beyond Reason: A New Play Reading

It's 1886, and the father of American psychology, William James, invites two mediums to his home for a weekend of psychic investigation. In a battle of science versus séance, the spirited women who gather there—including his wife and the family maid—strive to claim a place at the table, even if they have to levitate it to be heard.

From the playwright K.D. Carlson: "During the Covid lockdown, I leapt into a rabbit hole of reading about the first, most visible feminists in the U.S. and discovered that a good number were deeply involved in the spiritualist movement, which inadvertently centered female voices for the first time in American history. In particular, the female mediums who were invited to speak at spiritualist gatherings often drew large crowds and delivered influential messages that addressed women’s rights as well as spiritual insights. This select group of women ultimately captured the attention of influential men who believed that mediumship was its own proof. (Within the prevailing worldview, the average audience found it easier to accept that women could channel the dead than to believe that they themselves could be gifted and intelligent.) As I continued to delve into this unique period in American history, and into the writings of William James, and his theory of 'the will to believe,' a play was born."

You may also like the following events from Vintage Theatre:

• Next Saturday, 16th August, 05:50 pm, Raise the Curtain: Vintage Theatre’s Silver Season Gala in Aurora