Chao 's first production , an experimental one-act play in which he also starred . The lead character spends the entirety of the show delivering existential monologues while lying under a large piece of black cloth , until he is challenged by an otherworldly woman in a white dress . Chao created '' The Negative Energy Field '' as part of his Masters thesis in performance art at New York University 's Gallatin School of Individualized Study , premiering it in 1996 at Pink , Inc. in New York City , with Shawn Sides originating the role of the Woman in the White Dress . It was subsequently produced at Dixon Place , the New York International Fringe Festival , and elsewhere
New York International Fringe Festival
New York International Fringe Festival
Tom X. Chao