MAPPING INSTINCTS
Neuroscience at PLAY with the Mind and Body
University Theatre presents
MAPPING INSTINCTS
Neuroscience at PLAY with the Mind and Body
Devised by the Company
Thursday-Saturday, April 16-18, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.
KENNEDY-McILWEE STUDIO THEATRE, FRANK THOMPSON HALL
Director’s Note
MIA L. SELF*
Director
JAYME MELLEMA*
Scenic Design
LAURA J. PARKER
Costume Design
DANIEL DE LEON
Lighting Design
MIA L. SELF* | ROBYN WARFIELD
Sound Design
DAVID JENSEN
Technical Direction
CELIA FENNELL
Stage Manager
*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Society
Professional Staff
Program Director
JOSHUA REAVES
Acting Coach
DANICA JENELLE JACKSON
Costume Shop Manager
LAURA J. PARKER
Costume Technician
ADRIENNE McKENZIE
Technical Director
DAVID JENSEN
Assistant Technical Director
MICHAEL WHITE
Scenic Charge Artist and Props Manager
JAYME MELLEMA*
Sound and Lighting
ROBYN WARFIELD
Finance and Business
BRITTNEY BYRD
Marketing and Playbill
RON FOREMAN*
*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Society
Setting
MAPPING INSTINCTS is set right here, right now and in our collective past and imagined future experiences. This non-linear performance is inspired by the neuroscience research of Dr. Jaak Panksepp into affective dimensions of the brain and the seven primary emotion systems he identified as shared between all mammalian brains. While our work began with “the science,” it very quickly took flight and became a collaborative artistic inquiry into our own emotions and experiences. Consider it a neuroscience inspired fever dream.
One act performed with no intermission
followed by a post-performance discussion
INTRO – Connor and the cast
SEEKING – Andrey
Brain Constellations – written by Andrey Ureña-Seceña, Illustrated by Tye Rose Tracy
Changing Identities – developed by Andrey Ureña-Seceña, Tye Rose Tracy, and Connor O. Christman
PANIC/GRIEF – Sage
Phone Call – developed by Sage Castro, Ryan Farrelly, Jordyn Roof, Callie Willis, and Emma Claire Yando
Don’t Go – written by Jordyn RoofPanic Attack – conceived by Callie Willis
PLAY – Ryan
Tag – a game in real time with the cast
Play – Developed by the cast
Play is the space / Between the ticking of clocks – written by Jordyn Roof
Serious we forget to be – written by Sage Castro*
Tag – another game
FEAR – Jordyn
Fight, Flight, Freeze – written by Mia L. Self*
Is Anyone There? – written by Emma Claire Yando
Wisdom Teeth and other Spirals – written by Darsh Kiran Asher
CARE – Callie
Puppet Therapy – developed by Ryan Farrelly and Callie Willis
Anticare vs. Care – written by Jordyn Roof
LUST – Tye
Mating Rituals – conceived by Tye Rose Tracy, developed by the cast and Brandon Leach
OUTRO – Everyone
Cast
*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Society
Production Crew
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Orpheus Larsen
DRAMATURG
Amy Sawyers-Williams
SUPERTITLE OPERATOR
Oviya NagarajPrema
SOUND BOARD OPERATOR
Gerry Williams Jr.
SCENIC CARPENTERS
Luke Anderson* – Sarah Kenny
SCENE SHOP VOLUNTEERS
Benny Salvatore, Connor Chang, Dae Reed*, Eloise Wescott*, Evalyn Hunneyman, Faith Richards, Neha Parthasarathy*, Trent Naclerio, Vincent Wu, Zoe Etheridge, Ariana Bello, Conner Christman, Helena Azevedo Silva, Ky Reed, Molly Green, Sam Garber, Sarah Kolodzieski, Xochitl Tittles, Cody Boyles, Ronin Bigler, Beyonce Atherly, Lilyanna Ratte, Olivia Sitzer, Annie Dang, Isabella Vlach, Sullivan Schwartz, Andrew Bostic, Mark Oey, Lauren Shackelford
SET CREW – THE 103 Students
Gabriel Powers, Phoebe Murphy, Khalid Aldowah, Faisal Ghamdi, Felix Burdine, Colin Christensen, Ashley Ellison, Zack Baer, Molly Lincoln
LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR
Bodey Good
LIGHT SHOP STUDENT WORKERS
Daniel De Leon – Trent Naclerio
LIGHT SHOP VOLUNTEERS
Santiago Perez, Neha Parthasarathy*, Alyssa Stellavia, Charlie Aliotta, Paul Laleicke, Morgan Fulford, Victoria Blain
LIGHT SHOP – THE 103 STUDENTS
Kaitlen Madden, Maya Kozauer, Rome Williams, Isaac Pilkington, Felix Burdine, Dan Rajaratnam, Sarah Holder
UNIVERSITY THEATRE HOUSE CREW
University Theatre House Crew
*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Society
Please silence all cell phones. No photography, video or texting during the performance. Thank you!
“The Importance of Being Earnest” is currently running through Sunday, April 19
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