“The Caprisian blue belies an odour akin to rotting meat.” What power does a rare orchid possess and how did all those starlings get to America? Orchidelirium by Canadian playwright Dave Carley has its United States Premiere as the final production of Personal Space Theatrics’ 2003-04 Season of Obsession. Take the journey across two centuries and discover the answer to these and other questions. Explore the story of the one flower that can cause a fever in the brains of humans; a desire to possess, to create and to control so strong that it has been declared a medical condition. That flower is the orchid and the lovesickness it creates is known as 'orchidelirium'; the name the Victorians gave to the flower madness that has been compared to gold fever. Wealthy orchid fanatics are sending explorers to uncharted territories in search of new varieties of this exotic and hypnotizing bloom. As knowledge of the family Orchidaceae grows to encompass the currently more than 60,000 species and over 100,000 hybrids, orchidelirium might be expected to go the way of Dutch tulip mania. Yet there exists even today, a vein of orchid madness strong enough to inspire larceny among collectors.

This piece is a hothouse hybrid of fact and fiction, research and hypothesis, scent and sex that focuses on four people in two different centuries whose lives collide because of this
shared obsession. By turns hysterical and heartbreaking, Orchidelirium cautions us of the calamities that can come with unrequited love.

Playwright Dave Carley’s works have been produced across Canada, the United States, and the world over. Orchidelirium premiered last year at Toronto’s Factory Theater and received three DORA nominations, including Best New Play. Personal Space is ‘delirious’ to be bringing it to New York audiences.

The Company’s Artistic Director Stephen Wargo will direct, following up last season’s US Premiere of The Duchess AKA Wallis Simpson and his staged concert adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – In Concert, a PST annual event. Margaret Norwood returns to PST following rave reviews as Wallis Simpson in The Duchess AKA Wallis Simpson. Also appearing are Michael Poignand and Fred Arsenault both veterans of A Christmas Carol – In Concert and rounding out the cast of four is Navida Stein making her PST debut.

You can see Orchidelirium from March 25 through April 4, 2004 at Theatre 54 @ Shetler, 244 W. 54th Street in New York City. To order tickets 24 hours a day, logon to www.theatermania.com or call (212) 352-3101.

About Personal Space Theatrics
Personal Space Theatrics was founded with the guiding principle that Theatre was created for audiences. We envision a new environment of play-going, one where actors, audiences and plays themselves meet together in the same literal space without the conventional dual constructs of a stage. For more information, logon to www.personalspacetheatrics.org.