ANNONYArts announces the premier performance of Prodigal - Sept 3.4.5 and 10,11,12 of 2009 created by Tom Brady performance artist. Prodigal is partially funded by a grant from the Whitaker Foundation, the first awarded to ANNONYArts since its founding by Beckah Voigt, Webster University. Additional sponsors include the RAC Regional Arts Commission and MAC Missouri Arts Council.

Prodigal Is an ambitious secular exploration into the many meanings of the parable Return of the Prodigal Son. Brady’s performance of Prodigal becomes a koan, a riddle, a paradox designed to reveal intuitive knowledge. It travels through anger, forgiveness and generosity towards a state of being, a state of compassion.

Brady began creating performances as art early in 1970. Most recently his work creates a new language - language as experience – one which communicates to the performers and the audience through his manipulation of light, sound, movement – encouraging their journey to reveal their own hidden meanings, their own personal insight.

Prodigal weaves synthesized music, dance, yoga, martial arts, and gymnastics with light, shadow and technology to create the mise en scene - the art experience. The work de-emphasises spoken language empowering all the elements within the performance experience to convey knowing in a way that words do not. The audience is challenged to set aside their preconceptions about dance, theatre, movement, words, light and shadow, and western theatrical clichés, trusting only their intuition as their guide. Prodigal has three acts each with a unique and performance-challenging stage set. Brady was originally a sculptor and the works take on a powerful three dimensionality.

Brady is a prolific designer, composer, artist, stylist and performer. His list of performance venues, include Franklin Furnace in New York, the now-renowned PS1 Contemporary Arts Center in Long Island, Laumeier Sculpture Park and COCA in St. Louis and by invitation at the Generative Art conference in Milan, Italy; he has two BFA’s from Kansas University and an MFA from Rutgers University.


ANNONYArts is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the support of a consortium of independent movement and performing artists, presenting original works and providing arts education.

This event is made possible in part by financial assistance through the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis; The Missouri Arts Council – a state agency; The Whitaker Foundation; Inventory Sales Corporation and through the generosity of private donors.