Theater of the Mind

It’s a 360° journey that puts an audience at the center of a story. For Theater of the Mind, intimate groups of only 16 people per performance time will be led through a 15,000 square foot installation of intriguing environments. You will be invited to participate in unique sensory experiences inspired by neuroscience. Due to the visceral, personal nature of immersive work, no two participants will have the same experience.

Performances are currently scheduled for March 11 – May 31, 2026.

Theater of the Mind is located on the Chicago River in the historic Reid Murdoch building. The Entrance is located at 333 North LaSalle Street in Chicago’s River North downtown neighborhood.

Theater of the Mind is approximately 75 minutes.

No. Theater of the Mind is an immersive experience co-created by David Byrne and writer Mala Gaonkar. While David will not be a performer in this piece, you will get to know a new side of him as a creative artist beyond his music and Broadway work.

Learn more about David, Mala and their inspiration. Learn more about David at www.davidbyrne.com.

Yes! We are endlessly grateful to our many partner labs, who provided vital reference and checks to us throughout our development process: Geraint Rees (UL), Patrick Haggard (UCL), Ana Tajadura-Jiménez (UCL), Sally Linkenauger (University of Lancaster), Shin Shimojo (Caltech), Sam Schwarzkopf (UCL), Beau Lotto (UCL), Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde (SUNY), Henrik Ehrsson and Bjorn Van Der Voort (Karolinksa Institutet), Diana Deustch (USCD), Richard Brown and Ted Koterwas (formerly San Francisco Exploratorium), BeAnotherLab (Barcelona), Dan Simmons (University of Illinois), Emile Bruneau (MIT), Daniela Schiller (Mount Sinai), David Carmel (University of Edinburgh), Steven Most (University of New South Wales), Bahador Bahrami (UCL), Sepideh Bazazi, Mahzarin Banaji (Harvard), Liz Phelps (NYU), Joshua Correll (Colorado), David Rand (Yale), Ernst Fehr (University of Zurich), Paul Glimcher (NYU), Fiery Cushman (Harvard), Joshua Green (Harvard), Jonathan Haidt (UV), Paul Bloom (Yale), Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil (Cornell), Lars Hall and Peter Johansson (Lund University), Patrick Cavanaugh (Dartmouth), John Reynolds (Salk Institute), Alexander Todorov (Princeton), Chris Frith (UCL). Our scientific consultants Julia Harris and Elisabeth Engl were indispensable references as well.

Theater of the Mind is not a passive performance you watch from a seat.
You will need to move around the space among multiple environments with your fellow attendees. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and clothes. There are some limited seating options throughout the experience.

Theater of the Mind can accommodate one wheelchair or large mobility device per time slot (16 total people per slot). There is a wheelchair ramp and an accessible restroom available. The entirety of the experience is ADA accessible.

We are pleased to welcome task trained service animals. No other animals are allowed. Please note: Theater of the Mind is a high sensory experience that may be uncomfortable for service animals who are sensitive to sudden noises, flashing lights, or loud music.

We are offering select Enhanced Access performances tailored to individual needs, including an ASL-interpreted as well as Audio-Described performances.

To request/inquire about Enhanced Access performances, please reach out to The Goodman box office at 312.443.3800 or TicketServices@GoodmanTheatre.org. Please note, we need at least two weeks notice to investigate options for Enhanced Access programming.

Theater of the Mind utilizes immersive, non-traditional theatrical storytelling that moves the audience through different environments and theatrical spaces. Some of the spaces are large and open, and some spaces are smaller and constrained. Some spaces may be dizzying or disorienting. The experience includes cognitive and sensorial manipulations, and some adult themes.

Theater of the Mind is based on and includes perceptual phenomena. Your Guide will invite you to participate in a series of experiences you will see, hear, taste, and feel.

If you have any food allergies, please decline the edible portions of this experience.

If you have specific questions regarding the sensory aspects of the experience, we are happy to answer them! Please feel free to contact TicketServices@GoodmanTheatre.org.

Audiences must be 17 or older to attend unaccompanied. Patrons ages 12-16 may attend if accompanied by a guardian.

We are sorry, but audiences under 12 are not permitted to attend any performance.

Theater of the Mind utilizes immersive, non-traditional performance that moves the audience through different environments. Some of the spaces are large and open, and some spaces are small and constrained. Some spaces may be dizzying or disorienting. The experience includes cognitive and sensory manipulations, and some adult themes.

For a comprehensive list of sensory elements in Theater of the Mind, contact the box office at 312.443.3800 or email TicketServices@GoodmanTheatre.org.

Once the experience begins, there will be no late admittance. All sales are final, and refunds will not be issued to patrons who miss the experience due to tardiness. We recommend building in additional travel time to ensure a prompt arrival.

Due to certain aspects of the experience, no cell phones, smart watches, fit bits, or other wearable devices that light up will be allowed in the experience. You can store these devices in our free, secure lockers located in the lobby.

If you use a wheelchair, mobility device, or other medical device that lights up, our team will help you temporarily cover their lights for a specific portion of the experience, or you may opt out of that portion.

There are lockers with locks in the lobby, available to use for free. You will carry your key with you throughout the experience. There will also be a coat rack in the lobby. No bags or purses will be allowed inside the experience. Please ensure that you do not bring bags or purses that are too large to fit in the lockers.

Theater of the Mind reserves the absolute right to eject anyone from the premises for inappropriate or disruptive behavior at any time without a refund, as well as reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone who appears intoxicated or under the influence, at the discretion of our staff.