Shopping Center of the Universe

The opening night performance of EcoSummit 2027, Robin Frohardt’s Shopping Center of the Universe is a meditation on box store shopping centers, where the parking lot blurs the boundary between built and natural worlds—inviting reflection on the landscapes we’ve built, the ones we’ve lost, and the subtle poetry hidden in plain sight.

This multidisciplinary live performance blends puppetry, prose, music, and film. Inspired by a very real parking lot, the piece reflects on how the architecture of consumer culture shapes our sense of self and our relationship to the natural world.

Onstage, puppets and intricate handmade cardboard sets are activated by performers in front of multiple cameras, with their live-feed projected above them accompanied by live narration and an original score. This allows audiences to experience both the handmade mechanics of the simple cardboard elements and their cinematic expression simultaneously.

Presented in partnership with the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art with Dr. Elizabeth Doud, Curator of Performance, Historic Asolo Theater as part of the 2026/2027 Art of Performance Season.

Secure your ticket today at eco-summit.org.