Alumni News:
Conan O'Brien & Dissecting a Cauliflower Brain
May 17, 2006
She just appeared on Conan O'Brien, and she produced what the Chicago Tribune called, "one of the most intellectually absorbing theater pieces of the year!" It's been quite a good year for Meghan Strell.
Last fall, Meghan's Chicago-based theater company, Local Infinities, presented an astonishing new work, Corpus Delicti. Inspired by Rembrandt's 1632 painting, "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp," the performance featured the dissection of a life-sized cadaver cast in gelatin. Each body took about twenty hours to make, pouring industrial-strength gelatin into a huge mold. The body's organs were made of fruits and vegetables: a cauliflower brain, a pomegranate heart, bones made from gnarled parsnips.
The Chicago Tribune called Corpus Delicti, "…a jaw-dropping look at the multifarious cultural implications of the historical act of dissecting a corpse…one of the most intellectually absorbing theater pieces of the year!"
But in addition to her intense explorations of these kinds of complex themes, Meghan also ventures into more comedic territory. She has been working with the "astounding circus punk marching band" Mucca Pazza, which made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last Friday night. Mucca Pazza's wild and crazy mass of musicians and cheerleaders was the grand finale for Conan's week in Chicago.
Meghan first came to the Barn in 2000 to study Eccentric Performing with Avner Eisenberg & Julie Goell. All of her richly varied projects, from Corpus Delicti and Mucca Pazza to her work with Redmoon Theater and the Odd Company, Meghan traces back to her time at the Barn. Eccentric Performing created opportunities for new collaborations and opened doors to bold new ideas.
Click here to visit Meghan's web site: LocalInfinities.com.
Click here to visit Mucca-Pazza.org.
