WHEN ART CREATES THE CONTAINER WE NEED

I’ve been longing to shake the post-caregiving, midgrief social awkwardness that’s had me in its increasingly embarrassing grip, so I came up with what sounded like a fun plan and followed through: I threw a cocktail party and dragged some adventurous friends to experimental theater.

After two hours of dramatically themed appetizers and drinks at my house, my friends and I descended on the Center for Contemporary Arts to see the Exodus Ensemble’s reimagining of Hamlet. Within minutes, we were following actors through different rooms — Bobby’s eyes wide, Jay laughing in surprise, Heather’s playful curiosity shifting to full engagement.

Halfway through the show, something shifted for me. The ensemble had created a container so strong, so inviting, that my stiffness melted. I stopped monitoring everything and everyone and just experienced what they were creating.

This is what Exodus Ensemble does. The company transforms galleries, homes, even moving trains (Outlaw Express, staged on an actual train) into spaces where audiences of 12 to 25 people don’t just watch — they participate, feel and transform.