A unique immersive theater experience is set to premiere this Friday at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. “Your Unconscious Mind,” created by Brenda Townsend of Brilliant Spectrum Art, blends the history of Surrealism with interactive art-making.

A Dreamlike Encounter with Artistic Giants

The play brings to life three iconic 20th-century figures: Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Spanish multimedia artist Salvador Dali, and Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Audience members will be transported to a “dreamlike” classroom setting where they can interact with these characters.

Interactive Art Creation

Throughout the show, attendees will be encouraged – though not required – to participate in creating both collaborative surrealistic artworks and their own individual pieces to take home. The production aims to inspire creativity and exploration without pressure.

The Inspiration Behind the Play

Brenda Townsend, the writer and producer, drew inspiration from her extensive travels and art history studies. “As an artist and avid art history enthusiast…I was able to spend more time with the work of this artist and to view Dali and his work through the lens of a native son,” Townsend explained, recalling a visit to the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

Townsend also noted the complex relationship Frida Kahlo had with the Surrealist movement, despite never identifying as one herself. She discovered that Surrealist artists considered Freud their “patron saint,” and that Freud and Dali even met in the late 1930s, sparking the idea for the play.

The Roots of Surrealism

The play’s narrative touches upon the historical context of Surrealism, tracing its origins back to the anti-war art movement Dadaism in 1916. Surrealism itself was formally born in 1924 with the publication of André Breton’s “Surrealist Manifesto,” which advocated for bypassing logical thought to tap into the unconscious mind.

Key Figures and Their Contributions

Salvador Dali gained prominence in 1929 with the surrealist film “Un Chien Andalou,” and is renowned for his 1932 painting “The Persistence of Memory.” Frida Kahlo, though not a self-proclaimed Surrealist, explored themes of trauma and identity in her symbol-laden paintings. Sigmund Freud, who died in 1939, pioneered psychoanalysis, believing the unconscious mind held the key to understanding human behavior.

Performance Details

“Your Unconscious Mind” will have 10 performances in the California Center for the Arts, Escondido’s black box theater. The show is directed by Steve Warrick and stars Suchita Jhawar as Freud, Ciara Atencio as Dali, and Ana dela Torre as Kahlo, with Phil Amer as the understudy for Dali. The premiere celebrates Escondido’s Arts & Culture month and was supported by a city arts grant.

Townsend hopes the show will inspire curiosity and further exploration of these artists and the Surrealist movement. “We hope that this experience will make our audience laugh out loud, as well as have a blast…being guided to create impromptu works of art themselves with no fear,” she said.