Inspired by the millennia-old tradition of shadow theater, the multimedia show This Is a Sphere took the form of a massive cube erected on the esplanade of Place des Arts in Montreal as part of the Montréal en Lumière festival.

As it opened, the cube released light, creating a living work of art that evoked a Pandora’s box, a surprise box, and a magic lantern all at once.

Multiple characters, portrayed by four actors, moved within it to the rhythm of the city’s sounds. They carried the light and juggled its rays as if they were words, telling us stories. Image projections painted the settings for this virtual adventure, imagined as a series of tableaux drawn from our everyday lives. This revisited shadow theater, with its magic and poetry, revealed the hidden meaning of things and beings.