Cognitive Dissonance began as the whimsical ramblings of first-year college students around a Pepperdine University cafeteria table on a Sunday afternoon. There were amorphous discussions of secret philosophical societies and semiotics derived from eschewed sources that would divulge the secrets of the organization. But the most persistent idea was the possibility of producing relevant, yet artistically challenging original work that was, by the standards of our environment, deviant. These students talked about producing original student plays, without the aid or interference of any university faculty or staff.
On September 1, 2001, a historic thing happened. An e-mail was sent late at night to several professors of the university and one student asking about the feasibility of producing a Student Theater Festival comprised entirely of plays written, directed, produced, and acted out by students. Paul Golightly sent this e-mail. His fellow student, Anthony Volgare, responded. Thus was born a collaboration that culminated in a society of scholarship, service, and self-exploration through theater arts: Cognitive Dissonance.
Several years later, after fifteen original plays and several short films (including two full Student Theater Festivals and a 35mm short) Cognitive Dissonance Productions is poised to launch into the world of professional filmmaking. Our most ambitious project to date, Volgare's "The Abattoir," has already drawn attention and support from major names in independent film circles. The company continues to forge solid connections with visionary artists and skilled professionals that will act as the mind and body of our future work. And the artists who make up the company continue to grow and persist tirelessly in their vision of a world not as it is, but as it might be.