Since the beginning of the pandemic, Theater in Quarantine has developed and livestreamed dozens of visually distinctive, original performances from an eight-square-foot closet in the East Village. Hailed as one of the most imaginative makers of digital performance, this Drama League Award–winning company comes to the Cannonball Festival with a marathon in-person run of Scott R. Sheppard’s Topside. Inspired by the short story “Game” by Donald Barthelme and written expressly for TiQ as one of its earliest livestreams, Topside follows two men trapped in a military-grade bunker, uncertain of their mission, uncertain of how they’ll manage to survive each other’s company. Alternately capturing each character in looping sequences, TiQ founder Joshua William Gelb will perform Topside continuously for three hours each night, in a durational feat of digital hybridity.

“Virtuosic… The closet has produced some of the new medium’s most imaginative work.” — Jesse Green, The New York Times

“Makes confinement a virtue, a prompt to imagination.” — Helen Shaw, New York Magazine

Appropriate for ages 13+

This show is presented as part of Cannonball Festival, Philly’s artist-centered performance hub, packing in 65+ full length shows and 300 performances in two nearby venues. Discover risk-taking theater, dance, circus, music, and comedy alongside a vibrant garden bar with a free nightly cabaret, pop-up events, workshops, artist talkbacks, and more. September 1–30 at the Maas Building (1320 N 5th St) and Icebox Project Space (1400 N American St). Learn more at cannonballfestival.org.

Health & Safety

Proof of vaccination is required to attend this event, and masks must be worn for the duration of the performance. Audience members will be asked to show proof of vaccination before entering the venue. Both digital and physical proof of vaccination are accepted. Please plan accordingly.

Credits

Performed by Joshua William Gelb, Voiceover by Scott R. Sheppard, Written by Scott R. Sheppard, Inspired by “Game” by Donald Barthelme, Visual Design by You-Shin Chen, Sound Design by Gavin Price, Video Design and Direction by Joshua William Gelb

About the Artist

Theater in Quarantine is a Drama League Award-winning performance laboratory dedicated to the exploration of the live theatrical experience in the digital space. Established in response to the pandemic by Founder/Creative Director Joshua William Gelb, TiQ has developed and live-streamed dozens of visually distinctive, original works to its YouTube channel, working out of a closet in the East Village that’s only 8 square feet. Theater in Quarantine merges the live and the digital — embracing 21st century solutions to the question of “what is “theatrical””? Our digital and hybrid programming spans genres and styles, with world premieres of new plays, new musicals, adaptations of classic texts, dance, and site-specific art installations. With audiences around the globe, Theater in Quarantine has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Japan’s NHK Television, and has been profiled in The New Yorker and The New York Times. Within a single year Theater in Quarantine has been a four-time New York Times Critic’s Pick as well as one of Vulture’s “Top 10 Best Theater Moments of 2020” and the New York Times’ “Best Theater of 2021.”