Since 2015, I have been thinking deeply about the role of theater in our 21st century and wondered: Could we weave technology within the fabric of a story and enable real change? Can we convert the emotions and energy generated during a show into tangible actions that have a positive impact at scale?

Focusing on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I began researching, writing, mind mapping and meticulously storyboarding my most epic multimedia adventure to date: HUMANODE, a live multi-sensory show using real time data, cinematic and projection techniques, distributed ledger technology and pop action performance, to tell an extraordinary story that raises awareness on global issues and allows the audience to take action on them in real time.

HUMANODE tells the story of the last human Brain kept captive in a surreal–scientific traveling show lead by a demented Head Master. Tonight, the Brain escapes into people’s devices, as it tries to make sense of the world and engages participants to take action.

With the full hour animatic completed, detailed script, technical rider, line item budget, and partners aligned, I began fundraising for the live production in 2020. The timing was at odds with the uncertainty of the pandemic looming and, when it hit, all live events stopped. I paused and rekindled with an idea that had tickled me a year back: HUMANODE could also be an Interactive Reality (IR) Movie, a term I coined to describe the real-time philanthropic functionality of storytelling. Please stand by as we continue to pursue HUMANODE's development.