One hundred and four years ago, the Bronx Zoo in New York unveiled a new exhibit that would attract thousands of visitors. Inside a cage in the Monkey House, there was a man named Ota Benga. He was 22, a member of the Batwa people, pygmies who lived in what was then the Belgian Congo.

Inspired by this remarkable true story, Immediate Medium has begun creation of a new work. A Society Circus, co-conceived and performed by Siobhan Towey and JJ Lind. This work-in-progress outlines the preliminary findings of our exploration of his life and travels, with detours to the St. Louis World’s Fair, the Museum of Natural History, the land of Whosiwhatsits, the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum, Broadway’s Hippodrome Theater and the peaceful woods of Lynchburg, Virginia.

A work-in-progress performance will be presented at The Tank on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 at 2pm. Performance to be followed by a question and answer session. Five dollar suggested donation.