Local play takes away audience’s sense of sight

By Rheazel Pereira, April 5 2016 —

Tomorrow’s Child is Ghost River Theatre’s latest play — but unlike most of the theatre’s productions, viewers won’t be able to see the action unfold. Audience members are blindfolded upon entry and led to their seats, where the story is told entirely through audio.

Prolific author Ray Bradbury — best known for the dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451 — wrote Tomorrow’s Child. The story follows Peter and Polly, parents who have to cope with having their child born in another dimension.

Bradbury wrote the story in the 1940s. He envisioned a future where people would, among other things, use helicopters for their daily commute.

Artistic director Eric Rose describes the play as retro-futuristic.

“It is more of an experience than a play. It is entirely inside the imagination of the members of the audience,” he says. “People live in the imagery in their head. Nobody has adapted the play for sound only before. In fact, we are very happy to have the blessing of the Bradbury estate for the adaptation. We worked to create a rich and potent sound environment.”

Rose thinks the play is relevant to the present day — but not in the way Bradbury envisioned.

“It parallels the experiences of parents of children with intellectual disabilities. It is meant to be touching and relatable,” Rose says.

The aural side of the play was created by PK Sound, a local production company known for their audio work in the electronic music industry. Ghost River Theatre is starting a series of productions that focus on senses other than vision.

“Tomorrow’s Child is the first of our Six Senses Series, a bold new series of sensory theatre experiences where each installment focuses on the theatrical potential of one particular sensation,” Rose says. “Removing the audience’s primary tool for perceiving story offers a unique and rare sensory experience.”

Tomorrow’s Child is showing from April 6–9 at the West Village Theatre in Sunalta. Tickets are $15 for students. For more information, visit ghostrivertheatre.com.