The Harry Harlow Project

“…daz­zling indie the­atre” — Ali­son Crog­gon, The Australian

“an immer­sive and provoca­tive med­i­ta­tion on the man, his ground-breaking work and his destruc­tive mad­ness” - The Age

The Harry Har­low Project is the­atre based on the life and work of one of the most con­tro­ver­sial sci­en­tists of the 20th Century.

Har­low was the first psy­chol­o­gist to explore the nature of love, and his ground­break­ing work with baby rhe­sus mon­keys brought him fame and acclaim in the sci­en­tific world. How­ever, as his own per­sonal strug­gles took hold, Harlow’s exper­i­ments into the darker side of love became more and more macabre and disturbing.

How do we rec­on­cile that his work became the foun­da­tion for every­thing sci­ence now accepts about child-rearing, neglect, child abuse, and depression?

This pro­duc­tion explores this man and his work by cre­at­ing the lab­o­ra­tory inside his head. This is where his ideas, emo­tions, mem­o­ries, ethics, inse­cu­ri­ties and demons reside and con­flict to cre­ate the work that has been the source of so much ben­e­fit, con­ster­na­tion, admi­ra­tion and hatred.

Writ­er/performer:  JAMES SAUNDERS
Direc­tor:  BRIAN LIPSON
Sound Design/Composition:  KELLY RYALL
Video Design:  MARTYN COUTTS
Dra­maturgy:  KATE SULAN

Pre­vi­ous Per­for­mance Dates:

2011

BRISBANE POWERHOUSE (AUS)

SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE (AUS)

ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE (AUS)

PERFORMANCE SPACE SYDNEY (AUS)

2009

FAIRFAX STUDIO, THE ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE (AUS)