The Liminal Space
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Blaise Pascal, 17th-century French mathematician,
physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher
The Liminal Space project has ended. Thank you to all those who joined us here. The project began on June 28, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ran through April 1, 2021. Below is a screenshot of one moment in time.
A ghost light is simply a lamp left burning on the stage after everyone has gone home at night. Practically, it lights the way for anyone crossing the stage in the dark, keeping them safe from trip hazards. Traditionally, the light is left burning to appease the ghosts of the theatre. While Court may not have its own ghost, the spirits of more than 200 plays certainly linger in this space.
Welcome (back) to the Abelson Auditorium at Court Theatre. We invite you to join us in a favorite ritual—sitting alone in an empty, dark theatre, long after the audience and the artists have gone home. Absorb the quiet, absorb the energy of all the sounds and emotions that have moved through this space in the past 40 years. There is a tremendous hush of emotional memory contained in these walls.
Temporarily shuttered by the global pandemic, American theatres hang in a liminal state, moving from what was to what will be next. We invite you to sit with us during this pause, this breath, and to contemplate all that has transpired between these walls and all our ambitions for what theatre can be in the future.
Sometimes this space will be quiet and dark, other times you may hear or see echoes of Court Theatre’s past and possibly even our future. We invite you to return often and see how the physical space evolves.
Drop in for 30 seconds or for 30 minutes. Court Theatre will be here waiting for you. With, of course, a ghostlight still shining in the darkness.
Until we can be together in the theatre again…
Soundscapes by Andre Pluess and Josh Horvath
Video editing by Erin Pleake
Archival production photos by Michael Brosilow
5 responses on “The Liminal Space”
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What is the Plan to return to the theater? I see that Steppenwolf has scheduled Plays for later this year. Do we have a return date for the Court?
We hope to share an announcement about our reimagined 2020/21 Season in the next week or so. We’re still working through a few details, but we’re getting close!
Thanks for this space in which to relax and meditate.
My cat enjoyed it, too, especially the call of the seagulls.
Court Theatre has meant so much to me, for so long. Thank you for giving me this priceless chance to commune with its ghosts. They live on, in this hallowed space; they play on, in my mind. They will be with me, all my life.
The ghost lights remind me of gazing at a night sky filled with stars ~ beautiful, distant but beckoning with the promise of possibility.