Shadow Play
Directed by Joseph F. AlexandreMike Nelson (Kurt Mattsen)is a young aspiring actor who is introduced by a friend to a mysterious gentleman named Mr. Christian (John Crowther). Mr. Christian explains he has a grant to research ang quantify creativity. What separates an ordinary painter from Picasso, an ordinary scribe from Fitzgerald, etc. and what if one could harness and tap into that creativity?In exchange for Mike's participation he is promised an entree into the theatre world as Mr. christian can call upon his wide array of connections in the art world due to his studies thus far. All Mike has to do is watch and read some videos and essays he's been given and respond with some sort of improvizational monologue. Things begin well enough for Mike as he has been called back on some auditions, however, the materials he has been presented leave a lasting an unwanted impression. He feels he may even be programmed somehow. Even more disturbing is that Mike has reason to believe several of the programs past participants may have gone on murderous shooting sprees. However, because of Mike's confused state of mind it is hard for him to know whether this is just in his head or not. Will Mike be the next victim, and most importantly who is Mr. Christian?While this film comes under the guise of a thriller, it is really a meditative piece on the nature of violence in the U.S. and offers in it's subtext a few possible reasons why.
