Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse imagines a future where neuroscience enables human personalities to be uploaded, reconfigured, and downloaded into brains…or erased entirely. The series wrestles with the ethical implications and technical challenges of “mind-wiping” while following the adventures of a group of clandestine operatives (“Dolls”) who are neurologically programmed to complete secret missions for wealthy clients.
Join us for a screening of the premiere episode “Ghost,” followed by a conversation with neuropsychologist Dr. Mary Lu Bushnell and Dollhouse co-star Harry Lennix, who plays Boyd Langdon, an ex-police officer and one of the “Handlers” who monitors and coordinates the activities of the Dolls.
Food and beverages will be provided for free at the event, including a vegetarian option.
Co-hosted by ASU’s Project Humanities and the Center for Science and the Imagination
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Speaker Bios
Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. His acting credits include Man of Steel; the Oscar-winning film Ray, for which he earned a SAG award nomination; King Hedley II on stage; Showtime’s Keep the Faith, Baby; and NBC’s new hit series The Blacklist. He has also directed stage productions across the United States. A Chicago native, Lennix began his professional career in college, and after graduation, pursued his craft while teaching English and music in the Chicago public school system. He was part of the first American company to be invited to the Royal Shakespeare Company in the production of Cymbeline, and is the co-founder of Legacy Productions, which is dedicated to promoting significant works about the African American experience.
Dr. Mary Lu Bushnell is a neuropsychologist at the Phoenix VA Medial Center who conducts neuropsychological evaluations with veterans who have sustained blast exposure, brain injuries, or other neurological insults. She co-developed and co-leads the Brain Boosters Cognitive Enhancement group; is part of the post-deployment Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic; and is an appointed member to the Arizona Governor’s Council on Spinal and Head Injuries.