The Neurology of the Soul
About the show
Untitled Theater Company No. 61 presents this new play examining the nexus between neuroscience, marketing, art, and love. More…
Set at a neuromarketing firm, "The Neurology of the Soul" follows a neuroscientist who is trying to scientifically define love, his wife, an artist who is using her brain scans as the basis of video self-portraits, a marketer who is trying to apply the science of love to advertising, and a gallery owner who deals with art as a commodity.
“A must-see...With an intriguing backdrop linking neuroscience, art, marketing/branding and human relationships, Einhorn raises questions about ethics and justice in his beautifully constructed, dynamic and mind-blowing work...His exploration is at once humorous and frightening...Above all, his play alerts us to be on guard...’The Neurology of the Soul’ startles, thrills and absolutely shimmers with light.” Full Review
“The acting is excellent, and the direction and writing superb. I can tell you what I myself found to be truly cool about the play. It was the science, which the performance is rich in, despite its theatrical format...Even more impressive is how the play address many different interesting neuroscience questions, including pareidolia, cognitive, and last but not least, the neural bases of emotion, consciousness, influence from rhetoric, suggestibility, and motivation.” Full Review
"A fascinating creative deep dive into neuroscience and its application in 21st century marketing...This production makes you curious...It’s compulsive viewing...The play sits on a bedrock of a mountain of research. It is evident in the text, the premise, and the findings...All four performers give flawless performances...Einhorn’s powerful directorial vision is evident in every moment...A thought-provoking work...It’s thematically exhilarating and prompts hours of discussion post viewing." Full Review
“This play takes on notions of progress and success, but more original is how it juxtaposes data with the human soul, the idea of the artist as truth seeker with the static male gaze of the "beloved" in the arts. This ambitious play, delivered on much of this with clarity and humor...Don't miss this play. It needs to be extended. Although the cast was excellent, Ashley Griffin's Amy was quite a stand-out.” Full Review
"In this smart and stimulating new play written and directed by Edward Einhorn, Stephen makes an unwelcome discovery, while the show delivers some fascinating and perhaps unwelcome information to the audience...If Einhorn has given his play a title that might prove a tad off-putting to anybody but neurologists who read Scientific American, the playwright has fashioned an accessible plot that is more or less a love triangle." Full Review
"A fascinating, engaging, and ingenious evening of theatre...His text is rich with intellectual insights, spiritual musings, fast-paced dialogue, which could easily overwhelm an audience in concept. Yet, Einhorn has once again mastered an exhilarating balance of infusing a story with awe-inspiring ideas, characters we grow to deeply care about, and plenty of humor...Each scene seamlessly transitions blends into the next, taking us further into the complicated nature of love and relationships." Full Review
"A new trinity of archetypes in the evolutionary struggle of self-definition — the marketer, the scientist and the artist — are the pillars on which Edward Einhorn’s play 'The Neurology of the Soul' rests (if uneasily)...Matthew Trumbull creates a refreshingly neuro-atypical yet in no way stereotypical characterization; Ashley Griffin embodies Amy with a granite integrity and perilous yearning...Mick O’Brien gives perhaps the performance of the year as Mark." Full Review
“While introducing many intellectually interesting ideas...The lack of stakes...in just about everything made it hard...to follow the emotional journey of the characters...The acting was universally ungrounded...As an intellectual exploration, ‘Neurology of the Soul’ gives the audience a lot to think about and presents really interesting ideas, however, it falls short in incorporating those ideas into an intellectual narrative...The play falls short of reaching your soul.” Full Review
"Einhorn’s dissertational script demonstrates copious research on the matter of cognitive neuroscience...That said, the play may hold up to scientific scrutiny, but from a theatrical standpoint, 'Neurology' feels like Einhorn coloring in a thesis with a narrative, and the drama he tries to infuse to it makes for an uneven blend at best, and in some moments even undermines the science...All four of 'Neurology’s' talented cast struggle to accordingly flesh out soulless roles." Full Review
"If you ever wanted to be loved only for your mind, this is the setup for you...Handled differently, it might have made for a sexy and stimulating evening...Amy and Stephen make a dullish pair...Einhorn's direction does little to put some starch into these slow-moving proceedings...The bones of the piece are good, but the execution is lackadaisical and lacking in emotional detail. As theatrical experiments go, the data is inconclusive." Full Review
"The production’s video design and sound are excellent, particularly when Amy’s exhibition takes over the set. But in a play that juxtaposes art and science, love and money, private thoughts and public data, it feels like technology might have gotten a disproportionate share of directorial attention. With the exception of Mr. Trumbull’s admirably nuanced Stephen, the performances don’t spring compellingly to life." Full Review
See it if you want to be pleasantly surprised by a small production with simple staging. A great melding of science, art and human relations.
Don't see it if you want a large cast, elaborate production, comedy, singing or dancing.
See it if If you a great story of mind vs. heart vs marketing told by a super cast.
Don't see it if You like more traditional theater.
See it if If you wanted be challenged to think about the way advertising affects ones choices.
Don't see it if Don’t see it you want Entertaintment purely for entertainments sake.
See it if You like thought-provoking plays raising questions about science and humanity in story form that will stick with you. Great actors & script.
Don't see it if You don’t like small-scale plays with only four actors. Also, be aware there is a bit of coarse sexual language.
See it if Neuroscientist scans wife’s brain to measure emotions (love). Results are used by his boss for product marketing and by his wife to make art
Don't see it if You don’t like intellectually challenging plays that examine what it means to be human, to love, appreciate art, make & sell things of value
Also This play provides an overview of scientific neurological research and... Read more Read less
See it if Thought provoking re: What if. Post performance talks by experts in the field.Nice use of videos.hope for a follow up when more info is ..
Don't see it if When actors behind the screen the voices need clarity.Post play interviewee when answer co host tended to talk to him and not the audience
See it if You like plays with twisted plots and good acting.
Don't see it if You like plays with simple story lines that are easy to follow.
See it if You like well paced, well acted theater and clever staging.
Don't see it if you like musicals and other flashy theater.
See it if for the insightful blend of science & art that underpins the plot. The theater has artwork & post show interviews to support the theme.
Don't see it if you have triggering issues with brain explorations and MRIs.
See it if You’re interested in modern times, the bad side of marketing, marital ups and downs, the seedy side of art marketing and a good script.
Don't see it if You think it will be more about science than human vulnerabilities.
See it if you're interested in new technology and the business of promoting and selling works of art .
Don't see it if you want to hear all the lines spoken by the female lead. She spoke too low, too fast and often behind a curtain.
See it if You enjoy learning the research behind the way humans make subconscious decisions in an interesting and engaging play
Don't see it if You find research about how the brain works or what spurs us to lean towards certain choices uninteresting as a story.
See it if you're interested in the pros and cons of neuroscience and the way that it's used to affect love relationships and marketing in general.
Don't see it if if you're not interested in the pros and cons of neuroscience as it's used to affect love relationships and marketing in general.
See it if You want a smart but simple love story about how neuroscience can be used by us and against ourselves. Enjoy two dynamic performances
Don't see it if You mind a main arc that is predictable and at the end a bit sappy. Don’t get academic humor or enjoy that.
See it if you’d like to see a piece that puts some of our civilization’s big ticket items on trial: love, science, need, commerce, fidelity, art…
Don't see it if you don’t think of the theater as a place you want to think.
Also Love, science, need, commerce, fidelity, art: I’m glad that playwright... Read more Read less
See it if You like to learn while being entertained.
Don't see it if If you do not enjoy shows that are different and want different perspectives.
See it if you like plays that are thought provoking, unique in theme, realistic dialog, good characterizations and fine acting.
Don't see it if you dislike plays that deal with scientific mind research and the effects on human lives and serious rather then light/comic presentations.
See it if You enjoy a play that examines the nexus between neuroscience, marketing , art and love
Don't see it if You have no imagination
See it if You are interested in thought provoking themes on science, love and art and in great staging.
Don't see it if You don't have patience for long, didactic monologues.
See it if You like science , art ,and an exploration of relationship dynamics It didn’t go deep enough but was entertaining
Don't see it if You want to be seriously challenged. This is more stereotypical but fun enough
See it if you would like good juxtaposition of marketing and human neurological response research presented in an entertaining way w/ good projections
Don't see it if you do not want to watch the ills of market techniques and relationship troubles by researchers with loved ones.
See it if You are interested in a play that deals with scientific research on love which the results might change the view of neuroscience
Don't see it if You do not like small productions, plays with a lot of medical and science referrals, infedility, love
Also This was definitely an interesting subject and makes you question a lo... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in the neural bases of emotion, consciousness, suggestibility, and motivation. Einhorn juggles these impressively.
Don't see it if you prefer to engage with complex believable characters over ideas. This is Stoppard lite, but without compelling human behavior
Also Playwright director Einhorn's ambitious, idea-driven play attempts to ... Read more Read less
See it if A neurological researcher uses his wife as his subject for experiments to image the brain in response to romantic and sexual stimuli.
Don't see it if ... if you don't enjoy plays that need more work. The concept is very interesting, but actors are stiff or miscast.
See it if you like theater that explores ideas. Interesting exploration of our quest to better understand love, and science versus romance.
Don't see it if you wanted those ideas explored via full fledged characters. They represented points of view rather than fully realized characters.
Cast & Creatives (9)
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