LORD NIL: 7 DEADLY SINS at Stage 42 stars international escape artist Lord Nil, who will be joined on stage by an ensemble cast in this limited summer engagement.
A cast of 10 gorgeous men and women join Lord Nil in Lord Nil: 7 Deadly Sins, a theatrical escape experience rooted in ancient symbolism, raw physical danger and psychological suspense. What begins as a performance quickly becomes a test of will, fear and survival – the most suspenseful 70 minutes of your life. Ends August 31.
My name is Lord Nil. I am an escape artist and writer.
The question I am most often asked is: How do you cope with the tension of going onstage every night and risking death? I never know how to answer, and now I will explain one of the reasons that prevent me from giving a so-called intelligent reply.
I don’t risk dying every night: We all risk dying every day. So, perhaps the question is: Why do you risk your life every night on stage?
My father was a factory worker for 43 years and could have severed his hand at the slightest distraction. My father-in-law was a postman and risked being run over by a car each day.
What is the difference between me and them? Again, I see a different question. Why am I so stupid as to expose myself to crazy risks for simple entertainment? Does a baseball player risk getting hit in the eye for the sole purpose of swinging a bat? Does a skydiver jump from great heights to have a fun day? Does a soccer player risk his knees to chase a ball? Here’s my point: Yes, I risk drowning while a giant pendulum tries to cut me in half, I risk burning my skin on a hot surface, I lock myself in a claustrophobic, smoke-filled maze. And that’s only the first half of the show.
My answer: Just as my father refined his skills, and as my father-in-law learned every street danger on his route and the ball player spent his youth training to become a winner, the skydiver jumps 4,000 meters into the void hundreds of times to acquire the technique and the soccer player spends years learning to kick a ball with extreme skill, I train myself to withstand the tension of fighting against the adversities that face me on stage each night.
The audience that gives me the strength to persevere, I respect the time and money they invest in me. I know they could have done anything else that night, and I thank them not by risking death, but by celebrating life. When they awaken the next day, they will have added a beautiful memory to their lives. For me, it will be another day to thank death for giving me more time to enjoy the magnificent carousel of this existence.
If you find my writing melodramatic, I promise that I am much more entertaining as an escapologist. Whatever you think, know that facing death thinking it doesn’t exist is foolish: risking your life without taking any precautions is really stupid. See you at the theater. Tonight. And tomorrow. And the day after. LN
