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September 17–20, 2026
Meaux Space at Off the / Lane
305 7th Ave, 17th Fl, New York, NY 10001
in the provincial town of Itaguaí, an elite doctor opens Brazil’s first ever mental asylum. The doctor, desperate to pursue Science in a world governed by traditional priests and old-school plutocrats, stretches his definition of insanity—until, suddenly, almost the entire town is trapped in his madhouse. This building, seen either as a bastion of scientific progress or as a political prison, is called the “Casa Verde,” or “Green House.”
Greenhouse is an interactive theater adaptation of Machado de Assis’s novella "O Alienista." In it, Doctor Simão Bacamarte’s quest for scientific discovery collapses into a social rebellion over progress, traditionalism, and the power of the masses. Greenhouse asks: as public institutions crumble, who can you trust—if anyone? Audience members must piece together a version of the story, as they encounter differing accounts of the chronicles of Itaguaí.
Come dressed for a wedding reception, if you wish…
Greenhouse was originally devised in a 5-week workshop in November–December 2023 at the Center for Performance Research in Brooklyn. The team began with nothing but the source text in the first week of November; by mid-December, we mounted a one-night-only performance of the first draft of Greenhouse.
In November and December 2025, Greenhouse was revised through another devised workshop with Shayan Hooshmand and Abigail Duclos as lead playwrights. This workshop culminated in a one-night-only reading at A.R.T./NY in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, featuring new scenes, characters, music, and more.
In September 2026, The Elif Collective and Pop Up! Productions teamed up to produce a workshop production of Greenhouse at Off the / Lane in Chelsea. This was the first full production of Greenhouse since 2023.