UNC’s Department of Communication will present "Utopia Machine," an interactive performance event exploring the relationship between social media, politics and human emotion.
The multimedia performance runs from March 1-3 at 8 p.m. in Swain Hall, Studio Six.
"Utopia Machine" focuses on the ways in which political awareness is affected by social media news feeds. Audience members will be invited into a space that has been transformed into the “utopia machine,” an industrial and digital system that feeds on the emotions of the audience to produce content that appeals to diverse viewpoints.
“'Utopia Machine' is unapologetic,” said Livian Kennedy, a junior dramatic art and studio art major at UNC. “It addresses things we all experience through social media that we don’t talk about but that we relate to because it’s a part of our lives.”
Kennedy found out about "Utopia Machine" through the dramatic arts Listserv, and when she saw that the Department of Communication needed cast members for a new show, she was curious to learn more.
“I thought it would be cool to audition — I’ve always had an interest in the shows of the Department of Communication,” Kennedy said.
One of Kennedy’s castmates is Christina Banalopoulou, who received her master’s in theater and performance studies at the University of Maryland.
“Many things make this event unique,” Banalopoulou said. “On a conceptual level, it’s everything I want theater to be. It really puts you out of your comfort zone. Also, sometimes we are manipulated without even knowing about it, and sometimes conceptions that are supposed to be revolutionary like utopia are a part of the process. It will be great for people to see this first-hand.”
Banalopoulou met Daniel Dilliplane, the director of "Utopia Machine," while completing her master’s at the University of Maryland. Dilliplane also completed his master’s at the University of Maryland in theater and performance studies, and he is currently working on his Ph.D. in communications at UNC.
