Q: Who is David Byrne?

DAVID BYRNE: ...I have no idea.

Most people know me through music, but when I was in high school I saw science and the arts as being equally creative fields. More recently, I just started taking an interest in how the brain works, and there's been this explosion of literature. As much as I love reading about neuroscience, I realize that experiencing some of the phenomena is just on a different level. I wanted to create an experience that shows us we're not who we think we are. Theater of the Mind is an immersive Science Theater project. With this show, I've tried to marry a narrative to the experience of different scientific phenomena that reveal how malleable our perception memory and identity really are.

To make a production like this work, it's a big invisible team. There's actors, lighting designers sound designers, technical people so it's a really complicated system.

This is the Theater of the Mind. How do we operate in a world where we're not sure what's real and what's not. If things are unreliable, then what do we trust? People think of science as being intimidating, but it also doesn't mean that you can't understand it or can't enjoy it. Our emotions, our sense of self, our relationship to other people is all connected to our perception, that you can't separate one of these things from another. They all work together to make us what we are.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS · ONE PLANET PODCAST

You start the film with: Who is David Byrne? And he's a little taken aback by the question.

So who are you? What is your sense of self and consciousness?

IAN MOUBAYED

Ian: I think, as David Byrne said, "People are not static. We're ever-evolving." And so I'm not the same person that I was when I was a kid. And so, right now, I'm a filmmaker, I'm a New Yorker, but we're constantly changing, and I'm sure I'll be different in five years from now. 

JOHN TRACEY

To me, it evokes this question: Is who you are communicable? And whether it is possible for other people, beyond maybe one or two or none, to know that? And it's funny because the Theater of Mind show plays with that and, without giving too much away, each time you go through the show, it's not going to be the same experience as you had maybe the last time.

NICHOLAS BRUCKMAN

Yeah, it's an uncomfortable question to be confronted with. And I think there's the me that's on this podcast right now. That's maybe more presentational than me over a beer with Ian or with my family or partner. And going back to the meta-storytelling themes, there's a big question about documentary truth when doing portraits of characters. And is this the real version of that person? And I think when you do these kinds of films, you're only able to capture one of those selves.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS · ONE PLANET PODCAST

People are intimidated by science, and yet some of aspects of science are really important for all us, like how do we mitigate climate change? This is something that we all have to be on board with. But the statistics wash over people, and if you're not you know, scientifically minded, what does 1.5 degrees of change since pre-industrial times really mean? So any kind of story or a visualization that helps bring it home like you’ve done in your film is vital.

NICHOLAS BRUCKMAN

We follow a young theater performer who, along with other young people, put on a play about climate change informed by real scientists, real marine biologists, including discussion of coral reefs and other challenges that oceans are facing due to climate change. And what's really exciting about that piece and that approach, for me personally, is that we don't necessarily expect that play will move the needle on climate change. But I think it was very clear from following this young protagonist who embarked on this act of storytelling and performance herself, is that she felt a great deal of catharsis and also empowerment by creating this artistic piece and sharing it with other young people. And that this artistic expression set her on a lifelong journey to deal with this issue which she knows, I think she's 17, sits uniquely on her generation's shoulders. And so there's an important synthesis between science, the arts, and the actual tackling of the formidable challenges like climate change that we all face.

*

Nicholas Bruckman is founder and CEO of People's Television, a production studio and creative agency that produces independent films, and video storytelling for brands. Collaborating with the The Simons Foundation through their 'Science Sandbox' Initiative, he directed Theater of the Mind, which takes audiences into the creative inner workings of Musician and Artist David Byrne’s brain, showcasing Byrne’s immersive theater performance, which attempts to conceptualize the idea of our sense of self and how malleable the mind truly is. He directed the award-winning healthcare justice documentary Not Going Quietly, executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass.

John Tracey is Program Director of Science, Society and Culture projects at the Simons Foundation whose mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences to unravel the mysteries of the universe. The foundation champions basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement.

Ian Moubayed started his career as a cinematographer, collaborating with Emmy, Peabody, and Oscar-winning filmmakers. His work includes Netflix’s The Great Hack, NBC Peacock’s The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show, and HBO’s  The Vow.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producers on this episode were Katie Foster and Indigo Pinder Magaña. The Creative Process is produced by Mia Funk. Additional production support by Sophie Garnier.

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process & One Planet Podcast (Conversations about Climate Change & Environmental Solutions).