Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville today announced the upcoming arrival of FOOD, a sensational theatrical experience that uses absurdist humor, stage illusion and physical theater to explore the funny and fascinating relationship between humans and the food we eat. Created and hosted by Geoff Sobelle, an acclaimed actor, director, magician and creator extraordinaire, and following sold-out runs at Edinburgh International Festival and the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music, FOOD arrives in Nashville for an exclusive two week run between November 30 and December 10. However, don’t come hungry, because real food isn’t served at this surreal dinner party.

A giant, 500-square-foot table with an elegant white tablecloth sets the scene at OZ’s creative warehouse for this singular theatrical experience filled with sounds, scents and images that shape a conversation about personal memories, consumption and the evolution of food production. Though there is no actual eating at this dinner party, audience members can take a seat at the table and ingest the thrilling performance expertly seasoned with Sobelle’s signature flavors of rigorous design, stage illusion and ingenious humor.

Audience participation, a hallmark of Sobelle’s creativity following his previous successful installations The Object Lesson (2013) and HOME (2017), speaks to his unique style rooted in a deep study of centering the audience in the fabric of the show. In this performance, that fabric is how humans spend their modern lives mindlessly eating without questioning where and how what we ingest came to be.

“We are thrilled that this unique, theatrical event is coming to OZ, right after sold-out runs at New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Edinburgh International Festival, where it was the  hottest ticket in town,” said Mark Murphy, OZ Arts Executive and Artistic Director. “We are tremendously excited for our guests to experience FOOD, a concoction blending hilarity and introspection, complete with the kind of magic only Geoff Sobelle can provide as a theatrical maître d’.”

In this one-man show with hundreds of surprising props, Sobelle prompts audience members to ponder big questions they might not normally consider: Why do you eat what you eat? Where does it come from? What does it really cost? In this remarkable production considered “a meditation on how and why we eat,” the communal dynamic between host and audience leaves plenty to chew on. Please note: There’s no actual eating at this dinner party, so don’t come hungry.

Tickets are available starting at $30 at www.ozartsnashville.org/geoff-sobelle-food/. Both general admission seating and table seating at the center of the performance are available.

To learn more about upcoming performances, please visit www.ozartsnashville.org.

TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION

Performances:

Thursday, November 30 at 8:00 pm

Friday, December 1 at 8:00 pm

Saturday, December 2 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 pm

Thursday, December 7 at 8:00 pm

Friday, December 8 at 8:00 pm

Saturday, December 9 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 pm

Tickets: Available from $30-$55

Attendees can RSVP at ozartsnashville.org.

Founded in 2013 by the Ozgener family, OZ Arts Nashville has quickly established itself as one of the Southeast’s most influential and respected producers and presenters focused on the creation and presentation of significant performing and visual artworks by diverse cultural visionaries who are making vital contributions to the evolution of contemporary culture. Through performances, exhibitions, and community events, OZ Arts focuses on producing and presenting the work of local and visiting artists who reflect our diverse society, utilize new artistic forms and technology in creative ways, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with audiences, students and cultural and civic leaders. OZ Arts’ unique creative warehouse has developed a reputation as a major national and regional laboratory for experimentation and a home for contemporary dance and performance. More than 50,000 audience members have been introduced to adventurous artists from around the world since the organization opened, and hundreds of local and regional artists have used OZ’s 10,000-square-foot warehouse theater to develop new works. For more information, please visit ozartsnashville.org.

Geoff Sobelle is an actor, director and creator of original performance works. A dedicated absurdist, he uses illusion, installation and home-spun mechanics to create surreal, poetic pieces that look for humanity where you least expect it. His work is deeply collaborative and reflects long-time partnerships with other multi-disciplinary artists. His most recent works include: FOOD (upcoming BAM Next Wave ‘23), HOME (BAM Next Wave ’17, Bessie Award) and The Object Lesson (BAM Next Wave ’14, Bessie Award). These three works are all rooted in a deep study of centering audience in the fabric of the show. Other recent work includes a composition for Times Square, TimesxTimesxTimes created with Pamela Z and Hear Their There Here (a site-specific sound installation for St. Ann’s Warehouse); Holoscenes (an aquatic performance/installation created with Lars Jan) and Pandaemonium (a multi-media dance work created with Nichole Canuso and Lars Jan). His partnership with Trey Lyford as Rainpan 43 includes: all wear bowlers, Amnesia Curiosa, machines machines machines machines machines machines, and The Elephant Room (created with Steve Cuiffo). Before coming to New York, Geoff was a member of Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theater Company for twelve years. Other Philadelphia collaborations include: Headlong Dance Theatre, Subcircle, Nichole Canuso and Thaddeus Phillips. Geoff is a Pew Fellow and a Creative Capital grantee. He is a graduate of Stanford University and trained in physical theater at the Lecoq school in Paris.