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'Proxy' for human reality

Imagine your brain is put in a vat, where it continues to think and feel outside of your body. Meanwhile, where your brain used to be there are now various transmitters that connect to a computer, simulating life experiences. Would you be able to tell the difference? That's essentially the question behind the "brain in a vat" thought experiment, inspiring the latest Crash Dance Productions show. Part science fiction, part philosophical exercise, "Proxy" is a high-concept theatrical contemporary dance piece that probes our human reality. (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 4:30 p.m. Sun., the Lab Theater, 700 N. 1st St., Mpls., $15-$30, 612-333-7977, thelabtheater.org.)

SHEILA REGAN