From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <ufoupdates.nul>
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:50:37 -0500
Archived: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:50:37 -0500
Subject: Sci-Fi Play Probes Alien Intelligence




Source: The Halifax Daily News - Nova Scotia Canada

http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=84273&sc=95

28/11/07


Sci-Fi Play Probes Alien Intelligence

Dean Lisk
The Daily News

The world of science fiction - artificial intelligence, time
theories and maybe even extra-terrestrials - is getting the
centre-stage treatment.

"I scratched my brain, and I can't remember the last time
someone did an original sci-fi play in Halifax," Paul Kimball
said.

The local filmmaker is directing Doing Time, an original
production that will be performed at the Wired Monk in Halifax
beginning tonight.

Although he has helmed a number of sci-fi and UFO television
projects and documentaries for Halifax-based Redstar Films, this
is just Kimball's second time directing a play. He oversaw last
March's production of Le Theatre de Boheme's Marat.

He enjoyed the experience so much he started up his own
independent theatre company, Semaphore Theatre, to produce
original works by people he knows in the sci-fi industry.

Doing Time was adapted from a short story by Kansas City-based
UFO expert and Internet blogger Mac Tonnies. The work originally
appeared in an anthology called Illumined Black.

"The most important thing is that I wanted to do original works,
but also niche-oriented plays that you are not going to see in
Halifax - in this case, science fiction," Kimball.

The main character in the play is a young woman, Leda, who may -
or may not - be in prison. The story also deals with ideas
about time and the differences between human intelligence and
artificial intelligence.

"Mac looks, in his writing, at how close are we, as human
beings, coming to being artificial-life forms? How close is
artificial intelligence to becoming self-aware - sort of the
Terminator thing," Kimball said.

Appearing in the production are Kris Lee McBride, Christina
Cuffari and Nick Lachance.

"I enjoy working with actors who have their own strong ideas,"
said Kimball, who says he has allowed them to explore the text
and the themes. "They are confident, talented young actors, and
have made this process easy for me."

Kimball said Tonnies will be flying into Halifax from his home
in Kansas City to see the play, and there are hopes the
production will tour and eventually be turned into a short film.

dlisk.nul

if you go

- What: Doing Time, by Mac Tonnies and Paul Kimball

- Where: The Wired Monk, 5147 Morris St.

- When: Today through Saturday, 7:30 p.m.




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