Theatre of Life

The Theatre of Life was created by Meg Saligman, Heather Fenton and Juan Dimida on South Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When it was created in 2001, this was the program’s most expensive mural. Over 10,000 pieces of glass, one ton of concrete, 5,000 marbles and 400 gallons of paint come together in this multi-media production. This mural is a look at what controls each of us. What roles are chosen, or assigned, in the daily drama of our lives? The design began with a survey of over 100 artists. People were asked to describe themselves through ten questions. Surprisingly, responses did not describe specific occupations or functions, but rather beautiful words such as “dreamer,” “orator,” “partner,” “achiever.” The masks placed in the circles represent these notions. Each figure represents a different role. One woman has an exotic headdress and wings, yet she carries a quaint little house. A youth controls two marionettes who whisper to each other. Another figure’s inner self blooms as a flower, yet a rope centers her. Another dreamer dances and carries lover puppets as she is cutting the strings that run through the mural. A man struggles with a shiny rope that pulls a clock– when people were asked about what was uncontrollable in their lives, time was the number one response. Finally, two large hands with marionette sticks loom over the cast. They symbolize, perhaps, society or anything that controls our lives that we may not realize.