(Aleph-naught): A play & a plan

Aleph-naught is a performative text that creatively harnesses Dinesh’s findings from three of her previous works: Memos from a Theatre Lab: Exploring What Immersive Theatre “Does”, Memos from a Theatre Lab: Spaces, Relationships, & Immersive Theatre, and Memos from a Theatre Lab: Immersive Theatre & Time.
As the latest endeavour in Dinesh’s ongoing commitment to creating socially relevant, immersive, theatrical works, this book contains “A Play” and “A Plan”: a script that can be staged; a plan for how to work with participants (performers and spectators) in the realisation of that script. By using one specific play to address larger questions around staging Immersive Theatre, Aleph-naught is a unique resource for practitioners and researchers who are committed to immersive forms of socially relevant theatre praxis.

A Note on the Play
A Note on the Plan
The Play
The Characters
The Setting
The Spectators
The Reception
The Spectators’ Routes
The Interjectors
INTERJECTOR A: The Pro-Refuge Activists
INTERJECTOR B: The Rebel Clown Army
INTERJECTOR C: The Personal Trainer
INTERJECTOR D: The State Official
INTERJECTOR E: The Publicist
INTERJECTOR F: The Masseur
INTERJECTOR G: The Family
INTERJECTOR H: The Restauranteers
INTERJECTOR I: The Mentor
INTERJECTOR J: The Counselor (& the Therapy Dog)
INTERJECTOR K: The Lawyer
INTERJECTOR L: The Local Security
INTERJECTOR M: The Art Therapist
INTERJECTOR N: The Worker
INTERJECTOR O: The Anti-Refuge Activists
The Interjectors’ Routes
The Residents
RESIDENT 1
RESIDENT 2
RESIDENT 3
RESIDENT 4
RESIDENT 5
RESIDENT 6
RESIDENT 7 & RESIDENT 8
RESIDENT 9
RESIDENT 10
RESIDENT 11
RESIDENT 12
RESIDENT 13
RESIDENT 14
RESIDENT 15
RESIDENT 16
The Finale
The Plan
The Invitation
Dear interested performer,
Dear interested spectator,
The Selection
Actor Selection
Spectator Selection
The Training
Actor Training
Spectator Training
The Aftermath

Nandita Dinesh holds a PhD in Drama from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and an MA in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York. Focused on the role that theatre can play during and after a violent conflict, Dinesh has conducted community-based theatre projects in Kashmir, India, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the United States.
In 2017 she was awarded the Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy by Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Dinesh has written extensively about her work, for more information visit: https://chroniclesfromkashmir.org/the-books.

Theatre in Education, Applied Theatre, Immersive Theatre, Training