Detroit Theatre Collective’s recent production of Heisenberg at Matrix Theater marked a powerful return to live performance after the pandemic. From learning a new lightboard in a day to running QLab sound cues on the fly, it was a crash course in tech and trust — and a reminder of the magic that happens when theater comes together, even under pressure.

A reflection on the unexpected beauty of live performance through the lens of Manual Cinema — a Chicago-based collective blending shadow puppetry, film, and music to craft immersive visual stories.