DEINDE Artist – Isaiah Tanenbaum

This interview series will focus on the artists of DEINDE and ForePlay Human 2.0, asking them to riff on the themes and question of the plays.

Isaiah is not only appearing as Mac in DEINDE, but he found time to contribute a short play to Human 2.0! Oh, and did you see his crazy world-building images from the past two days yet? And oh again, please note the QuamBi business card he designed for all the characters (more of those anon). Clearly, we should listen well when the mulit-talented creative partner of Flux talks about the future…

What crazy invention are you most looking forward to in the future?
Teleportation. How awesome would it be to get rid of travel time? Though the ethical implications are problematic — two Rikers! — I’m sure the cocktail of mood-altering drugs we’ll all be on 24/7 will let us not worry about it.

In 2051, theatre will be ________.
…the last real-time, in-person, non-on-demand cultural experience that remains us. And still obsessed with its apparent irrelevancy.

If you could evolve one of your own senses, which would it be, and why?
My sense of perspective. I’d love to be zen and let all things wash across me as ripples upon a pond; I don’t have the patience to get there through normal means. But that’s sort of the thing, isn’t it?

For the human race to evolve, it will need to_____.
Embrace rational thought and empathy over superstition and cliquishness. I don’t see that happening naturally. So instead, some DEINDE-like technological solution should do the trick.

A time-travelling-you from the future suddenly appears with something important to tell present-you. What do they have to say?
Oh no, we weren’t supposed to see each other! Now the entire space-time continuum will –

Will the future be more like Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, or the Jetsons?
My heart longs for Star Trek. But my brain says Battlestar. Though I did read once that the Jetsons actually has a pretty stark environmental catastrophe subtext (what exactly happened to the surface that they NEVER visit it?). So that seems possible, too.

If you had the opportunity to think and feel directly into a computer, would you take it?
You know, I’ve been really surprised by the consistent “no way” responses so far. Guys, we’re all on smart-phones all the time, and Google and Wikipedia have become our group memory — we’re way more than halfway there. I would be the first in line to take that last step and cut out the slow process of typing and clicking with these sticks of meat and bone on the end of my hands.

What do you have coming up in the near future that you want our readers to know about it?
I’m in this play, maybe you’ve heard about it? Also did you know I’m a photographer? If anyone out there needs some headshots I hope you’ll drop me a line.

Isaiah Tanenbaum is a Flux Creative Partner, Flux’s Marketing Director, and an actor, photographer, playwright, and Judaica teacher. He has appeared as an actor in seven Flux productions (DEINDE makes eight!) and dozens of Have/Anothers, Food/Souls, ForePlays, and one-off performances and readings. Plays he’s developed with Flux include !Viva Fidel! and The Transcendental Etudes. Outside of Flux, he has performed with Gideon Productions, The Jekyll & Hyde Club, and the New York Renaissance Faire.

Isaiah holds a degree in Theatre/Dance & Music from Amherst College and is the only non-Astorian in Flux, living in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn with Jessa, his wife, and Juno, their cat-who-thinks-she’s-a-dog.