Questioning is a live theatrical production that reenacts a true story: in 2024 I was interrogated by government officials because I had become a licensed private investigator in order to make artwork. In a windowless conference room in Albany, agents probe for answers, raising fundamental questions about what it means to be an artist. How does detective work, with its close, deliberate observations expressed as a set of findings, differ from artistic practice? On a practical level, what are artists paid for? The objects that they produce, the processes they enact or the technical and critical expertise that they offer?
Eight months after the interrogation, the State dropped their case. I spent several weeks attempting to obtain video footage of our exchange but my requests and subsequent appeals were denied. The New York Department of State certified in writing that the interrogation video couldn’t be found after “diligent search.”
I developed Questioning in order to make the State’s evasion futile. As an artist I can bring the scene to life on my own, whether or not they share the official documentation. I recorded the audio of our interrogation on my cell phone, and the actors in Questioning lip sync to this track. The performance is video recorded, replacing the version that was withheld, albeit in a different form.
Tickets will be available soon for the work’s debut at New Theater Hollywood in July 2026.