Magic Acts: Metaphysical Religion on the US Stage
Dana Tanner-Kennedy
Theatre Journal September 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1353/tj.2025.a971569 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that metaphysical theatre—exemplified by Daniel Alexander Jones's Black Light and Sibyl Kempson's 12 Shouts to the Ten Forgotten Heavens—uses channeling, ritual, and magic to transform consciousness, heal individuals and communities, align participants with cosmic rhythms, and imagine a more just and enchanted future, representing the magical branch of religiously inflected postsecular theatre in the US. |
Abstract
Abstract:Metaphysical theatre performs acts of channeling, enacts rituals as healing practices, and champions magic—the mental power of imagination to manifest desired outcomes. Daniel Alexander Jones's Black Light and Sibyl Kempson's 12 Shouts to the Ten Forgotten Heavens embrace the cosmic correspondences, eclectic imagery, and magical possibilities of metaphysical theatre, creating participatory rituals to transform consciousness, offer personal and communal healing, bring performers and spectators into alignment with the rhythms of the cosmos, and manifest a more just and enchanted future. Metaphysical theatre serves as the magical branch of a larger trend of religiously inflected postsecular theatre on US stages.