Recent Publicity
Untapped Cities: "Artist Cynthia Von Buhler’s latest endeavor might be the closest you can get to time travel." http://untappedcities.com/2014/03/10/the-booth-brothers-story-comes-alive-at-the-players-club-in-nyc/
The Wall Street Journal:
Crain's New York Business:
New York Post:
Three pages are missing here. .
Science Channel Feature:
Cynthia von Buhler was featured in "A Gurney for Grandpa" (Season 3, Episode 16) on the Science Channel (Discovery) television show Oddities. Buy the episode HERE for $1.99. Or, watch PART ONE and PART TWO on YouTube.
Salon:
This is the seventh installment in a new series called Keepers of Curiosity, featuring interviews with intrepid performers, artists, writers and culinary-minded individuals with a thirst for discovery and innovation.
The Artist Murder Investigator: Cynthia von Buhler
Playwright and award-winning artist Cynthia von Buhler uses the power of performance to explore unsolved mysteries.
What do you do?I investigate murders, specifically those related to significant events in history. This began with Speakeasy Dollhouse, a look into my grandfather’s 1935 murder. Shortly after Prohibition ended, my grandfather, who was a bootlegger, was shot on the street in Manhattan. No living members of my family know why—and my grandmother took these secrets with her to the grave. When I began my research, nothing was known about the killer, his motive, or the trial.
Since I make dollhouses for my children’s books, I decided to create scenes from this unsolved mystery using my own handmade sets and dolls. Utilizing evidence from autopsy reports, police records, court documents, and interviews, I built a miniature speakeasy, a hospital room, a child’s bedroom, a pre-war apartment, and Ellis Island. I also created lifelike dolls with moveable limbs to live in these sets.
I wrote a storyline for the actors to follow, but in order to achieve a level of realistic spontaneity I invite audience members to interact with the actors. I use these interactive productions to delve deep into the psyche of the characters and their motives. In doing this, I satisfy my own curiosity and entertain people by engaging theirs.
How would you describe your work?Transmedia storytelling. I like to tell stories using multiple forms of media, with each element making distinctive contributions to a user’s understanding and participation in the story universe. I make living worlds, where even the senses are engaged through sound and smell.
With Speakeasy Dollhouse, I have created my own life-size dollhouse. The actors and audience are my dolls. Each actor is following a script, but everyone is allowed—and encouraged—to improvise. Meanwhile, all of this is happening in a historic building that actually used to be a real-life speakeasy. We even encourage the building’s ghosts to become a part of the action.
What are you most inquisitive about?I’m inquisitive about everything. I’m constantly asking questions and I like talking with people who are more knowledgeable than I am. My husband is a walking encyclopedia. I’m most curious about living things and the choices they make. This runs the gamut from wondering why a wife might cheat on her husband to why a moth is drawn to a flame. Obviously, they are seeking something. I want to understand every detail of their drive.
What curiosity does your work satisfy?
©
Jamie Rojo for Brooklyn Street Art.
Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse, The Documentary
Of Dolls & Murder, directed by Susan Marks and narrated by John Waters is a documentary about Francis Glessner Lee’s crime scene investigation dollhouse dioramas. Marks has recently finished "Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse" which is a sequel to "Of Dolls & Murder." You can now order the film when you buy your tickets!