Newfangled Contraption

Somewhere near the risk-taking gene that makes people jump off stuff, there must be a gene that prompts humans to crave novelty in a somewhat more subdued way. Just give us something we haven't seen a thousand times before -- a new play by a new writer, say, in which...

By Julie Peterson

November 26, 2009

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Somewhere near the risk-taking gene that makes people jump off stuff, there must be a gene that prompts humans to crave novelty in a somewhat more subdued way. Just give us something we haven't seen a thousand times before -- a new play by a new writer, say, in which we don't know what's gonna happen or who's gonna die or how we'll feel afterward.

Each year, ASU's Herberger Institute presents a Festival of New Works that caters to our collective surprise tooth. This season's slate includes AM:I, a full production of a script by grad student Dan Frey, which looks at artificial intelligence trying to go rogue.

Wed., Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 6, 2 p.m., 2009

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Julie has written for the Night & Day events calendar section since 2005. As a student at Arizona State, she received the Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Creative Writing Award and the Theatre Medallion of Merit.

Contact: Julie Peterson