Based on a true story, the play tells what happens when Freud's unconscious tries to drive him mad. In the process, it causes him to suspect
that Anna, his sixteen-year-old daughter, is having a secret liaison with Dr. Sandor Ferenczi. Adding to the confusion, the unconscious causes Sandor to fall madly in love with the girl,
which leads to a series of comic misunderstandings that don't get resolved until Freud's colleague, Dr. Wilhelm Fliess, almost kills Emma Eckstein (the girl he loves) by
operating on her nose, and Princess Marie Bonaparte introduces Parisian fashions and dances to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, to the dismay of the father of psychoanalysis.
Actress Chloe Himmelman, who plays Anna Freud, recently appeared opposite Adam Sandler in a major motion picture.
Actor Stephen Carter Carlsen, who plays Sigmund Freud, will appear as Paul from the folk trio Peter, Paul
and Mary in a major motion picture about Bob Dylan, premiering December 25th from Searchlight Pictures.
No prior knowledge of Freud's work is required to enjoy the play!
This is the first time that the Unconscious appears onstage in a theatrical work.
Warning: The manifestation of the Unconscious onstage may cause heart palpitations and strike fear into the hearts of some theatergoers. A doctor and a nurse will be on call in the lobby to assist anyone who needs medical attention during the performance.
The play also features Wilhelm Reich, a controversial follower of Freud.
About the Author
William Cane (Michael Christian) in Mexico, researching the Burroughs production.
William Cane is the pen name of bestselling author Michael Christian. A former trial attorney, he has directed more than a hundred stage shows,
including his Off-Off Broadway musical Meet The Real Ernest Shackleton (2004), which the New York Times compared to the Marx Brothers. In 2024 he directed
The Beat Generation at the Producers Club in Manhattan. His books have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than a million copies worldwide.
Hairstylist notes
Princess Marie Bonaparte has a towering beehive hairstyle. [Marie, director's sketch]
The hairstylist will prepare the actress's hair before each show.
Wilhelm Reich's hair is combed straight up.
The hairstylist will prepare the actor's hair to resemble Reich's eccentric style.
Although the action in this play takes place before Reich moved to the United States, you can see inside his Rangeley, Maine,
residence and laboratory in this six-minute video, Wilhelm Reich documentary film project.
