










SPECIMEN
Written & Directed by Randall Sharp
The Nomad has gone dark. Stay tuned for future "sustained theatrical turbulence." 🚀 Join our mailing list for future transmissions.
Specimen unfolds aboard the Nomad, a failing corporate research vessel nearing Earth after a disastrous mission. An unexplained internal explosion has left portions of the ship unstable. Communication falters. Systems misfire. The vessel continues forward.
When a mysterious pod docks without warning, the crew discovers what appears to be a rare and immensely valuable lifeform—one that could salvage their mission and secure their return.
Or is it just a man?
Specimen draws from the tradition of downtown experimental and absurdist theatre, blending visual storytelling, heightened performance, dark humor, and immersive design to create a theatrical experience that is intentionally strange, imaginative, and emotionally immediate.
REVIEWS
“… in this darkly absurd sci-fi fever dream… 'Specimen', arrives like a transmission from a dying satellite: garbled, abrasive, funny, ugly, unexpectedly moving, and very much alive… (it) may masquerade as a ramshackle sci-fi farce, but beneath its glorious clutter lies a bleakly lucid portrait of a culture drifting through space with poisoned food, broken machinery, and no clear memory of how to get home.” —Theater Scene
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY: AXIS THEATRE’S 'SPECIMEN' (is)… a frenetic sci-fi satire… (with an) exemplary ensemble… a clever balance between farce and fright…" —THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK
"...given a work that asks what makes an alien different from a human… Sharp… delivers a gut punch." —OffOffOnline
"All actors are firing on all engines throughout the piece, total commitment, which makes for a crazy ride as each engine is pointing in a different direction. Kudos to each one of them…” —The Front Row Center
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