100% The Triangle
100% The Triangle features 100 non-actor participants that each represent 1% of the Triangle's population. Part research project, part game, 100% The Triangle blends statistics and theater to give audiences the opportunity to connect with their community at a deeper level.
About 100% The Triangle
In co-creation March-October 2023
For their 100% City series, Rimini Protokoll has traveled the world, working with local residents to build immersive theater experiences. 100% The Triangle is an extension of that concept, expanded to explore an entire region: North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
100% The Triangle is a research project, a system, a game, and a theater work, all at once. It features non-actor participants chosen according to statistical criteria that reflect the demographics of the area, with help from Carolina Demography. To build this group of participants, Myra Wise of Proxemic Media and a team of casting coordinators spent four months chasing threads of people based on word-of-mouth connections. Nathan Dollar, the project’s demographer, was the first person, or 1%. He recommended someone to be the second person—2%. In this fashion, 100 people have been recruited from across the Triangle. Within the production, each person represents 1% of the area’s population.
Throughout the co-creation process, Rimini Protokoll asks participants to be themselves, and to share their stories and perspectives with one another and the audience at large. This method is an attempt to illuminate the essence of the region. The project thrives on trust, community, connection, witnessing, and a willingness to challenge preconceived notions about one another and the place we call home. In this collaborative venture, Rimini Protokoll artists Helgard Haug and Daniel Wetzel work with their co-creators to ingeniously translate 100 distinct lives onto the stage.
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Participants of 100% The Triangle. Photo by Eleazar Yisreal. -
A darkened stage at the end of the show. Photo by Eleazar Yisreal. -
Participants show their superpowers during a performance of 100% The Triangle. Photo by Eleazar Yisreal. -
Participants during a performance of 100% The Triangle. Photo by Eleazer Yisrael.
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Local Stories in Objects
Each of the 100 local participants brought an object of significance with them on stage during the performance. They used these objects to introduce themselves to the audience and in doing so shared about their hobbies, professions, communities, and histories.
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Take a Look Behind the Sceens
Go behind the scenes of 100% The Triangle to learn about the casting and rehearsal processes. Hear from the artists, producers, and local participants about the creation of this once-in-a-lifetime, place-specific production.
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Demographic Methodologies
Rimini Protokoll and Carolina Performing Arts worked with Nathan Dollar and his colleagues at Carolina Demography at UNC's Carolina Population Center to collect statistics about the Research Triangle's population. The information collected by Nathan was used to gather a cast that represents a vibrant, human cross-section of the area.
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Meet the 100%
100 unique individuals participated in 100% The Triangle. As part of the casting process, each person was photographed and interviewed by a team of casting producers. Rimini Protokoll artists Daniel and Helgard worked with Stacey, a casting producer, to edit those interviews into a digital book.
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Participants use colored booklets to answer questions. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
A participant shares his story. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
Folks have a dance party mid-performance. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
The stage as seen from the sound booth in Memorial Hall auditorium. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
Triangle young people gather on stage. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
Participants answer questions on stage. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
A participant shares his story. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
100% The Triangle. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
A participant poses a question to the group. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael. -
Folks have a dance party mid-performance. Photo by Eleazar Yisrael.
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100% Across Campus
Rimini Protokoll artists Daniel Wetzel and Helgard Haug arrived in Chapel Hill two weeks before opening night. They did so in order to meet the show's participants, direct rehearsals, explore the Triangle, and imbed themselves across campus as part of their CPA Southern Futures residency. They visited two classes, one in Communications and one in American Studies, meeting students and sharing about their practice.