UAP Storytelling Versus UAP Reality: “We Interrupt This Program …”

(Image: “We Interrupt This Program”, Virginia Theater, Champaign, Illinois)This weekend, I will have the privilege of participating in the hybrid live event “We Interrupt This Program” at the historic Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, Illinois. The production utilizes a unique “Show and Tell” format, as described here.The “Show” is an original satirical play written by four-time Emmy winner Bill Odenkirk (The Simpsons, Futurama, Mr. Show). The story follows a small, local Midwestern radio station attempting to re-broadcast Orson Welles’ famous “The War of the Worlds” radio drama on the anniversary of its 1938 airing, when it’s interrupted by news that an actual alien ship has appeared over an Illinois cornfield.The “Tell” is a live, unscripted cosmic panel discussion titled: “Is the Truth Out There?”, moderated by Emmy-winning PBS host, Sarah Edwards.The star-studded production blends comedic veterans with premier scientific discussion. The “Show” features the actors: Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) and Jill Talley (Mr. Show, SpongeBob SquarePants), whreas the “Tell” includes the discussants: Ahmed Best (Star Wars prequel trilogy), Bill Odenkirk and myself. The special musical guest is Ryan Groff (five-time Grammy-nominated songwriter for Avril Levigne/KORN)The show will feature music directed by Graham Edwards as well as immersive background projections spanning the theatre’s massive screen. The immersive projections of archival footage of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) will display available visual evidence, while the discussion will examine the arguments for and against the possibility that some UAP representing alien technology, and how biases and culture shape what people believe.Earlier tomorrow, I am scheduled to give a special seminar at the University of Illinois (advertised here), titled: “Searching for Extraterrestrial Technological Artifacts Near Earth: Are There Packages in Our Mailbox?”My lecture will serve as a prelude to t