In the second episode of In Production, EMPAC video engineer Ryan Jenkins talks with Bailey Scieszka and curators Isabella Achenbach, Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Angelica Arbelaez, Min Sun Jeon, and Guy Weltchek about producing their large-scale multimedia theatrical project Conspiracy Influencer at EMPAC.

Bailey Scieszka’s Conspiracy Influencer is a four-part theatrical extravaganza that premiered live at EMPAC on May 13, 2022 and will premiere online May 26th at 7PM. This newly-commissioned performance combines puppetry, clownery, and drag. It is set in a madcap world populated by characters like anthropomorphic Skittles, Nixon’s dead dog, a talking Comet pizza slice, a mob of Beanie Babies, and a demonic clown named Old Put (Scieszka’s alter ego). The cast of puppets satirize the wacky conspiracy theories that spawn in dark corners of the internet and contribute to the polarized socio-political landscape in the United States. Over the course of the performance follow Old Put’s meteoric rise from humble content creator, who unboxes dolls on YouTube, to celebrity influencer at the center of a disinformation campaign. The performance is the climax of Scieszka’s collaboration with curators from CCS Bard, EMPAC’s production team, and Philadelphia-based composer Joseph Hallman.

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