ArtsEmerson Presents 17 Border Crossings

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The history of passports, smuggling Kentucky Fried Chicken into other countries and the peculiarities of airline security — it’s all covered in this miraculous, one-man saga that unpacks how the mundane details that govern global travel become the actual journey. 17 Border Crossings is a surreal sojourn that transports us to very real places: Hungary, Serbia, Morocco, Colombia, Holland, and Mexico, to name a few. In the deft, mischievous manner of the trickster, Phillips manages to float huge questions that surround the fraught migrations of our era. With all the childlike curiosity and adult skepticism of monologist Spalding Gray, and the theatrical wizardry of a Robert Lepage, Thaddeus Phillips takes audiences by the hand on a trip around the world and shows us that when we cross the imaginary lines that divide up the world, the real borders come to light.

“We’re thrilled,” shares Co-Artistic Director P. Carl, “to welcome the return of Thaddeus Phillips to Boston and ArtsEmerson. This production is quite timely, considering the recent upheaval surrounding U.S. executive orders regarding travel bans. But in addition, this one-man show speaks to the exploring and honoring of many international cultures, much like we do at ArtsEmerson, putting the world on stage.”

17 Border Crossings takes place April 19th until the 29th at the at the Emerson/Paramount Center’s Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, located at 559 Washington Street in downtown Boston. Tickets range from $10 to $60 and may be purchased online at www.artsemerson.org or by calling 617.824.8400.