INGENIOUS NATURE Offers Human Nature Talkback Series at the SoHo Playhouse, 12/20

Off-Broadway's rap guide to dating, Ingenious Nature, led by Baba Brinkmanwith turntablism by Jamie Simmondsat the SoHo Playhouse(15 Vandam Street), is offering a Human Nature Talkback Series with experts from the science community. On Thursday, December 20^th, following the 7:30 PM performance, audience members are invited to stay for the post-performance talk back by guest speaker Dr. Jonathan Haidt,a Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, based in the Business and Society Program Area of NYU. Dr. Haidtwill be discussing the intuitive foundations of morality - its emotional foundations, cultural variations, and developmental course.

Dr. Haidt is a social psychologist at the NYU-Stern School of Business whose research examines the intuitive foundations of morality, and how morality varies across cultures. In recent years he has examined the moral cultures of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians. Dr. Haidt is the author of The Happiness Hypothesis, and of the The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.

Ingenious Naturekicked off the talkback series with guest speakerDr. Gary Marcus, blogger for The New Yorker, Professor of Psychology at NYU, and author of four books about cognitive science, including the New York Times Bestseller Guitar Zero and Kluge: The Haphazard Evolution of the Human Mind. Following Dr. Gary Marcus was Dr. Christopher Emdin, author of the book, Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation, who spoke about the use of hip-hop in urban science classrooms and education.

Directed by Darren Lee Cole, Ingenious Nature began performances on Friday, November 23^rd, opened Wednesday, December 5^th and has a closing date of Sunday, January 6, 2013. In this new theatrical mix tape, everyone's looking for love, or sex, occasionally even both. The science of evolutionary psychology claims to explain why, and how, this state of affairs came about. But can it help us find the right one? A young man decides to take the "science of mating" seriously in his personal quest for true romance. Will the theory work in practice? It turns out, ovulation studies can make for awkward first-date conversation. Ingenious Naturefeaturing music and turntablism by Mr. Simmonds, lighting by Jason Boyd and projections by Erik Pearson.

Ingenious Nature will play on the SoHo Playhouse Mainstage WednesdaysthroughSundaysat 7:30pm, until Sunday, January 6, 2013. The running time is approximately 90 minutes without an intermission. Tickets for previews are available for $45.During the run, tickets are available for $65. SoHo Playhouse Season Subscriptions are available for $99 and include 1 ticket to all 3 SoHo Playhouse shows (The Old Man and the Old Moon, Ingenious Nature, and Hamlet in Bed), a $195 value, and is fully tax deductible. To purchase tickets, visit:www.sohoplayhouse.com or call (866) 811-4111.

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