​Heavy Metal Whitehead

review of a one act play
not yet written or performed

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If you missed it, here’s a chance to catch up. What follows is a review of an imaginary play, directed by an imaginary playwright and performed by an imaginary actor—real in essence, even if not actual. It's a musical, to the music is imaginary, too. In Whitehead's philosophy, possibilities are real as objects of experience, even if they are not (yet) actualized.

The idea for the play came to me while reading about a band in Oregon around 2009, called Metal Shakespeare. The band performed Shakespeare plays using metal music. This sparked a thought: "Why not Whitehead, too?"

The review of the play Heavy Metal Whitehead, its director, and its performers are all imagined by Jay McDaniel with a help from OpenAI.

- Jay McDaniel

Last night’s debut of "Heavy Metal Whitehead" brought the house down, thanks to the bold direction of young playwright Sophia Edgerton and a stunning performance by Al Keystone, guitarist of the popular local band "Off Your Ass." Edgerton, whose early feminist plays set the stage for her innovative approach, brilliantly combined philosophical depth with visceral music. Keystone’s intense presence and musical chops made him the perfect embodiment of the young Whiteheadian philosopher, bringing the heavy metal score to life with both intellectual rigor and emotional fire.

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Performed by Keystone, the plot of Heavy Metal Whitehead is deceptively simple, yet emotionally layered. It centers on the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery through his immersion in heavy metal music. His story unfolds as a raw and deeply personal account of how music became a lifeline amid the suffocating grip of a fundamentalist religious upbringing, the profound grief following his sister’s death, and the relentless torment of high school bullying. These pivotal life experiences left him adrift, until a high school teacher introduced him to the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. The abstract concepts of process, creativity, and becoming immediately resonated with him, providing a framework that mirrored his own search for meaning amid chaos and pain. The philosophy became a tool for personal growth and healing, and this intellectual awakening is expressed, not through words alone, but through the visceral power of heavy metal music.

From the first blistering chords of "Creative Advance," Keystone commanded the stage, delivering Whitehead’s vision of a universe in constant motion. The philosophical complexity of process thought was transformed into something almost tangible, as his guitar riffs soared and growled through the intimate venue. Keystone’s performance—fueled by his background in metal—was nothing short of electrifying, balancing moments of explosive intensity with quieter, reflective passages.

The heart of the show came with "Feeling is All There Is," a centerpiece that captured both the intellectual and emotional heart of Whitehead’s philosophy. Keystone's delivery was raw, matching the song’s build from a quiet meditation to a roaring crescendo that left the audience breathless. His ability to channel the complexity of emotions—joy, pain, love—into music reflected Whitehead’s notion that feeling is the essence of reality itself. You could sense the entire room grappling with this revelation, as the song's soaring melodies blended perfectly with its aggressive, distorted foundation.

Director Sophia Edgerton’s signature touch was evident throughout the play. Known for her sharp insights into power dynamics and emotion in her feminist work, Edgerton infused this production with a sense of tension and release, mirroring the philosophical and emotional conflicts at the heart of Whitehead’s process thought. The minimalist set, coupled with stark lighting and abstract cosmic visuals, gave the production a vast, almost otherworldly quality, grounding the intellectual themes while amplifying the raw energy of the music.

"Tragic Beauty" was another standout, as Keystone embodied the philosophical tension between suffering and grace. His performance here—both vocally and musically—was nothing short of heartbreaking, shifting from the heaviness of loss to a fragile sense of hope. The song’s complex emotional landscape was rendered in dissonant guitar work that resolved into haunting beauty, leaving the audience reflecting on how tragedy and beauty are intertwined in the process of becoming.

The final number, "Eros of the Universe," delivered the climactic affirmation of Whitehead’s vision of God as the relational force guiding creation through both chaos and harmony. Keystone’s ability to combine intensity with sensitivity was on full display, as the music wove together soaring metal riffs with tender, melodic interludes. Edgerton’s direction allowed the performance to breathe, giving space for both the heavy and the delicate aspects of the piece to shine. The final notes resonated deeply, leaving the audience in a state of reflective awe.

"Heavy Metal Whitehead" is a fusion of philosophy, emotion, and music. Edgerton’s sharp direction and Keystone’s powerhouse performance brought Alfred North Whitehead’s complex ideas to life in ways that were both intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant. For anyone who thinks heavy metal can’t convey ideas about God and love, this play proves otherwise. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in philosophy, music, or cutting-edge theater.

Interview with Playwright Sophia Edgerton and Actor Al Keystone

Interviewer: "Thank you both for such a powerful performance. Sophia, let me start with you. Why was heavy metal music so important to the play?"

Sophia Edgerton: "Heavy metal felt like the perfect medium to explore Whitehead’s ideas because it’s raw, intense, and complex. Whitehead’s philosophy of process and becoming, with its constant tension between chaos and order, beauty and tragedy, really mirrors the energy in metal. There’s this visceral quality to heavy metal that expresses the emotional weight of philosophical ideas—especially the unpredictability of life and the search for meaning. It’s not clean or tidy, and neither is life in Whitehead’s view."

Interviewer: "Al, you brought such passion to the stage. Why does heavy metal resonate with you personally, and how did you bring that into the role?"

Al Keystone: "For me, heavy metal is about expressing things you can’t put into words—like frustration, loss, or awe. It’s raw emotion, but there’s also a structure to it, which I think connects well with the philosophical side of the play. As an artist, I’ve always felt that the chaos and power in metal are a way to explore the deep stuff—life, death, love, meaning. For this role, it was about channeling that intensity into a character who’s trying to grapple with those same issues through Whitehead’s philosophy. The music gave me the space to really feel what the character was going through."

Interviewer: "Sophia, how did heavy metal help you highlight the philosophical themes in Whitehead’s thought?"

Sophia Edgerton: "Heavy metal’s combination of dissonance and resolution mirrors Whitehead’s concept of tragic beauty. There’s a constant negotiation between chaos and harmony, which is central to his idea that God is both the eros and the harmonizing force in the universe. Metal allowed us to make those tensions real for the audience—whether it was the aggressive riffs or the melodic passages, the music became a way to embody Whitehead’s idea of the universe as a process filled with feeling and complexity."

Interviewer: "And it certainly came through. Thank you both for your insights!"