"It was a subject that I have kept cooling in my brain until I felt that I could touch it," said Virginia Woolf of her own mental illness, "without bursting into flame all over." So begins An Exquisite Dream of Fire, an original performance piece that traces the path of mental illness from darkness and secrets to creativity and understanding. The premise: If our brain is the responsible for telling our body when we are injured or sick, what happens when the brain is the organ needing attention? Based on hundreds of personal testimonials and one-on-one interviews solicited from mentally ill individuals, Funkopolis has created a dreamlike, piercing original work that not only gives voice to a vibrant community, but one that connects the electricity of the brain itself to the dynamic atmosphere of theatre.
Baltimore Theatre Project
Baltimore, Maryland USA
September 23 - October 10, 1999
Cara Cylus
Brian Loevner
Shannon Maddox
Sean Rung
Anna Marie Sell

Director Tim Brown
Playwrights Tim Brown, Cara Cylus, Genevieve Grant, Brian Loevner, Shannon Maddox, Sean Rung, Anna Marie Sell, and Erik Trester
Additional Text Collaboration and Dramaturgy Juanita Rockwell, Gabriel Shanks
Stage Manager Genevieve Grant
Production Photography C. Richard Gillespie
Scenic Design Jane Wynn, Shannon Maddox, and Tim Brown
Lighting Design Kevin A. Moore
Costume Design Shannon Maddox
Sound Design Tim Brown, Erik Trester
Movement Design Nancy Wanich Romita
  • An Exquisite Dream of Fire's title is taken from the noted author Virginia Woolf, who, in her own letters and journal entries, described her mental illness as such. She went on to to say it was as if "my brains went up in a shower of fireworks."
  • The production was co-sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, who promoted and supported the creative process of the piece. The text was adapted from hundreds of letters from mentally ill individuals describing their own experience.
  • In its Baltimore premiere, Funkopolis sponsored audience talkbacks, including one with Rebecca Hoffberger, the Artistic Director of the American Visionary Art Museum, a world-renowned institution that often displays remarkable works of art by mentally ill individuals.
An Exquisite Dream of Fire marked the playwrighting debut of Funkopolis' longtime co-director, Tim Brown. Tim's commitment to mental health issues stems from his work in Washington, DC education and advocacy; in his early 20's, Tim served as a staff member for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and worked with Tipper Gore and other beltway insiders to improve the lives of mentally ill people across the United States.

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