When we speak of the Hamilton art scene, we often insinuate that is has sprouted out of nowhere. However, the art culture in Hamilton is rich in history, with the Hamilton Fringe Festival being an important facet in the culture. The Fringe, as it is called, is celebrating its eleventh year in existence.

The festival, which runs from July 17 to 27, celebrates art, non-partiality, freedom from censorship, and accessibility. It allows stories to be told and experienced through dance, spoken word, music, and drama while receiving a hundred percent of the profit. Fringe festivals are a longstanding tradition worldwide, allowing both veterans and emerging artists to share a stage. The festival aims to enrich the experience of both performers and audience members by opening up non-traditional spaces for stories to be told and innovative approaches to art to be discovered.

The repertoire of shows that will be performed at the twelve festival venues is somewhat overwhelming, however, when reading over the synopses of some of the plays, a few of them stood out in my mind. In an attempt to follow in the footsteps of the festival and dig beyond the surface, I asked the directors of five shows a few questions in hopes of answering the question, "why see this play?".

webCarbonCopiesCarbon Copies

Little Black Afro Productions

Luke Reece, co-founder and artistic director of Little Black Afro Productions is passionate about all forms of art. When speaking about his love for theatre, Reece states, "In my final year of high school, I wrote and directed my first play and it was on opening night that I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I made those people feel, with my words and my placement of people onstage. I had crafted it together. The summer after my first year at York studying Theatre, I started Little Black Afro Productions. Two years later, here I am, still doing it, still loving it, and still making audiences feel." Carbon Copies explores the theme of memory through spoken word, photography, and language. The story runs approximately sixty minutes and centers around a character named Aaron who is taken through the important moments in his life while developing a roll of film. This play aims at exploring how the moments we experience help shape us into the people we become. "Everyone sees something different when they look back at their past, whether it's through a foggy memory or a crystal clear photograph. It's important to recognize that both bad and good things have happened, and if bad things are happening to you in the present, good things will follow again. I think that this show also shows that you can still rediscover the youth you had in your childhood in different ways as an adult. Take the past for what it is, look ahead, and make some new memories," says Reece.

webBellRingerThe Bell Ringer

Bending Reality Productions

The Bell Ringer started as a production for the fourth year Theatre and Film Studies Honours Performance Series, conceived by Concetta Roche, Taryn Crankshaw, Cameron Love,  and Jessica Marshall but quickly grew into something more once they realized the impact it had on their first audiences. “After having seen the production performed onstage at McMaster, it helped us to see how much potential we had to push the material further. The one thing that people kept telling us after the show was that they were “left wanting more.” It was a nice reinforcement that the material we produced was engaging and appealing to our audience... I feel like the two productions are very different in the sense that now we have a better understanding of the characters and the show as a whole because we have gone through this process twice," said Crankshaw. The play is an adaption of Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame that deals with body issues through the eyes of a male, the physical and emotional desires of non-able bodies people and featuring a non-able bodies lead in a way that strays from the common portrayal in the media. "Our key themes in The Bell Ringer are disabilities, male body image, and desire. We took social justice issues from Victor Hugo's book and wanted to see if the topics were still relevant 183 years later," said Marshall. Coming together at McMaster, the founders of Bending Reality Productions fell in love with the story as they did with the art of theatre. "We all agree that theatre is a part of us that keeps growing our love and passion for the arts," said Roche.

webFastFoodFast Food Love: The Musical!

Big Bang & Company

Fast Food Love: The Musical! was written around the title song, 'Fast Food Love' after director Carly Popenko came up with it on a whim. From there, she had to ask herself important question to figure out what story needed to be told. "What did I want it to say? Who did I want to say it to? And most importantly, how did I want to say it? These are tough questions to filter through, but for me, unless you go through this planning process in the beginning, your story has the potential to wander off track, or more relevantly, end up in the deep grease fryer," said Popenko. Fast Food Love: The Musical! is filled with quick and punchy music, hovering around 2 minutes long, so  that people who may not love the musical genre like Popenko can still enjoy it. "To me, music has the power to speak to our emotional core. There's something about combining the human voice, which is such a personal, unique experience, with instrumental sound. It takes the lyrics' message to new and exciting heights. However, as an audience member, I do find it daunting when a show is comprised completely of songs alone. I tend to lose focus, and eventually, stop paying attention to the wonderful lyrics that are moving the show forward. This is why it was important to me write Fast Food Love: The Musical! as a musical for people who don't necessarily like musicals. The musical offers a lot of social commentary about the detrimental effects of capitalism in the form of chain stores, due, in part, to Popenko's affection for independent businesses. "There's something to be said for independent businesses, with restaurants in particular. They bring a certain charm and appeal to a city, and ultimately, help to drive the increase of its tourism. The restaurants on Hamilton's Locke St., Ottawa St., and James St. North are great examples of that," said Popenko. The musical also discusses themes of North American fast food culture, and maintaining sustainable eating habits.

Tickets are no more than ten dollars, but in addition to a ticket, a four dollar "festival backer" button that can be purchased at any of the venues is required for entrance. With the revitalization of Hamilton art culture as it is seen today, it is important that accessible and inventive initiatives such as The Fringe continue to thrive and local artists continue to be supported. Show times for all plays can be found at hamiltonfringe.ca.

 

 

 

When I saw Kim’s Convenience at Theatre Aquarius on Friday evening, I couldn’t help but think about my own family for the full two hours.

I am not Korean, I don’t live in Regent Park, nor does my family own a convenience store. But the whole time I felt that Apa, Janet, Umma and Jung were telling my story – my family’s story. When Apa revealed his disappointment with Janet’s career as a photographer, I remembered my own mother’s confusion four years ago: “Why not just science? Why art and science?” When Umma explained how Apa had sacrificed his whole life, his whole self, for his children, I thought of all the stories my father always shares so longingly about his home country. When Janet twisted her father’s arm to squeeze out of him the words “I love you,” I wanted nothing more than to immediately call my parents to remind them how much I care.

The production is hilarious, moving and honest – often brutally honest. My loud laughter was regularly cut off by a sudden wave of emotion. The story shifts gracefully from humour to heartbreak and thus offers a highly nuanced and realistic image of Canadian immigrant life.

But it doesn’t always paint a pretty picture. Apa might very well embrace a black husband for his daughter, but he will systematically practice racial profiling while running his business. And in the one instance that we see on stage, the audience gasped when Appa catches a Jamaican man stealing from his store. Janet is a kind and caring daughter, but we still see her in moments of extreme selfishness. And the story of Jung, the son with so much potential who ends up in a dead-end job with a baby and a girlfriend he doesn’t love, left me wondering about the futility of it all. Would their life have been different, better, more fulfilling if they had never come to Canada? Was Apa’s life a waste if his children were unhappy and unsuccessful? Could he have done things differently? Does there come a point when parents should not be held responsible for the decisions and failures of their children? When does that day come?

I was the probably the youngest person and I was also very clearly a racial minority. The room was filled with older, white men and women. And the whole time I wondered – what are these people thinking about? How are they relating to this story? Is there empathy? Do they too feel like they are contained within Kim’s Convenience store, that they too can find their own stories somewhere between the aisles and the shelves?

Kim’s Convenience reminded me of the power of theatre - of how a simple, everyday story suddenly becomes startling and special.

Kim’s Convenience is playing at Theatre Aquarius until November 23rd.

Sarah O'Connor
Staff Reporter

One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, focuses on four Athenian lovers who are controlled and manipulated by fairies in a forest. With the many characters and interwoven subplots, the play can be mind-boggling for everyone – at least for the first few scenes.

Taking a new stance on an old classic, Dr. Cockett and his Theatre & Film 3S03 students’ production hopes to “unsettle normative gender dichotomies.” They use cross-casting and gender reversing for some characters in order to make the audience re-evaluate their views of gender, sexuality, and power. I can say with full confidence that Dr. Cockett and his team of students were able to achieve this and much more.

The set was created by Emily Gallomazzei, Nick Kozij, and Ian Wilush. It creates the perfect, fuzzy line between dream and reality. The production makes fantastic use of multimedia, orchestrated by Joe Keca, and very cool lighting, which was done by Carissa Kaye, Anthony Scime, and Jennifer Rossetti.

The doubling of the roles for Theseus/Titania and Hyppolita/Oberon were both extremely powerful and effective decisions. The actors, Dan Megaffin and Julie Lane, showed immense acting skills through their ability to portray such diversity. The mischievous Puck was performed by Phillip Krusto and Claudia Spadafora in a stunning act of unison and with great humour. The chorus of fairies also bring to the production some very beautiful songs and hypnotic-like harmonies.

While the group of the four Athenian lovers were both hilarious and heartfelt it was Miles Greenberg who stole the show with his humourous and heartbreaking portrayal of Helena. The ‘group of actors’ played by Matt Blackshaw, David Jackson, Rex Jackson, Nick Kozij, Sasha Stevenson, and Ian Wilush were hysterical and a perfect end to the show. Ian Wilush’s portrayal of Bottom was also hilarious and endearing.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues its stage run in Robinson Memorial Theatre (CNH 101) until Nov. 16. viagra generic Tickets can be purchased at Compass or through SOTA at 905-525-9140 ext. 24246.

Sarah O'Connor
The Silhouette

When I heard in April that Theatre Aquarius was going to be putting on Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, I could hardly hide my excitement. It was murder having to wait six months for the play to be performed. But it was well worth the buildup.

For those unfamiliar with Christie and her works, it should be known that she is considered the best-selling novelist of all time. She also created the memorable detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, who still have their own television shows and movies today. Her most famous play, The Mousetrap, premiered in 1952 and has played in England for 61 years, making it the world's longest running play.

The Mousetrap is a cozy mystery set after World War II in a newly renovated guesthouse, Monkswell Manor. The guesthouse is owned and run by young married couple Giles and Mollie Ralston (Aidan deSalaiz and Trish Lindström). On Monkswell Manor's first night open for the public, the manor is booked out to five guests: Christopher Wren (Alex McCooeye), an eccentric young architect who fancies nursery rhymes, Mrs. Boyle (Jo Skilton), a highly unlikable woman of high class, Major Metcalf (Terry Belleville), a retired army man who we know little about, Miss Casewell (Shannon Currie), an odd woman who came to England to finish certain unnamed business, and Mr. Paravicini (Tony DeSantis), a mysterious guest who ends up at Monkswell Manor after his car is overturned in a snowdrift.

After a sudden call from the police, Detective Sergeant Trotter (Simon Lee Phillips) arrives on the case, telling the already tense guests that they may all be in danger. After a woman, Mrs. Lyons, was murdered on Culver Street the previous day, Trotter believes that the murderer may be headed to Monkswell Manor. As the snow keeps the guests from leaving the manor, Sergeant Trotter tries to find out which of the guests are in danger, and which one is a murderer. Each guest turns upon the others, wondering how much is really known about the other person, who can be trusted. Can anybody?

This colourful cast of characters gives The Mousetrap the perfect balance of humour and suspense. The casting choices were perfect too. Each of the actors really understands whom they are playing, and it was nice to see some new faces at Theatre Aquarius. While I felt Trish Lindström was a bit over-the-top at times, she excelled in shrouding Mollie with kindness and mystery. But it was Alex McCooeye who really stole the show. His portrayal of Christopher Wren was incredible, creating the perfect balance of eccentricity and suspicion, causing the audience to wonder if this lovable goof ball could really be a murderer.

The set was gorgeous and really looked like it was taken straight out of the late 1940s. I especially loved the snow falling from the large windows of the Great Hall, which made Monkswell Manor feel even cozier. But what really makes The Mousetrap a masterpiece is the ending. Once you've seen The Mousetrap, you become part of The Mousetrap club, an old tradition where you must never reveal the ending to anyone who hasn't seen the play.

So who could it be? Could the murderer be our hosts Mr. and Mrs. Ralston, the unlikable Mrs. Boyle, the kind Major Metcalf, the eccentric Christopher Wren, the odd Miss Casewell, or the strange Mr. Paravicini? Sergeant Trotter is on the case. Join him, as well as our suspects, at Theatre Aquarius, and join The Mousetrap club for yourself.

4.5/5

Photo by Daniel Block

In the midst of a large research university, some disciplines may get lost in the shuffle. But this year is the time for Mac’s arts to be in the spotlight.

McMaster’s School of the Arts is launching a yearlong festival designed to highlight the arts and their role in the university. The Spotlight on the Arts festival will see eight months of events, including lectures, exhibitions, and theatre productions.

Virginia Aksan, former Acting Director of the School of the Arts and one of the main coordinators of the festival, sees it as an opportunity for the department to be more vocal on campus.

“My vision was to promote the [image] of School of the Arts —which surprisingly, very few people know about,” she said of the reasoning for the event.

School of the Arts was created in 2001 to amalgamate the departments of Art and Art History, Music, and Theatre and Film Studies, a move Aksan considers to be primarily economically driven. But she also believes they hold a further connection.

“They share a vision about human creativity that I think is so much part of downtown Hamilton now,” she explained.

And it’s this vision that she has seen flourish under the leadership of current university president Patrick Deane, whom she describes as a “huge fan of the arts.”

Aksan felt that the leadership of Peter George, president previous to Deane, left something to be desired when it came to arts education. Deane began his role as president in 2010.

“What Peter George did was to create a university that was internationally renowned in heart research or in health studies,” she said.

“[But] the humanities… are the continuity of intellectual life of the human, and we kind of take it for granted. We’re in an age when we can’t have that happen anymore.” She added that she hopes to remind people “Mac does things besides what it’s renowned for.”

While the purpose of the Spotlight festival is chiefly to promote the work of School of the Arts, the project has been “building and growing from the original purpose to stimulate more arts based activity,” said Beth Marquis, another of the lead coordinators of the festival.

Marquis serves as a professor in the Arts and Science program, in the School of the Arts, and works at the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (MIIETL). She sees the festival as an opportunity to create more connections within the McMaster community, between disciplines and departments, especially considering the size of the university.

“It’s such a big and complex place,” she said of McMaster. “Sometimes you miss a lot of great opportunities that are happening…I think it’s just the nature of a place like this.”

The festival, with its variety of events, will be organized into four different clusters: connect (September), activate (November), empower (January), and integrate (March). Through the different themes, Marquis hopes to encourage people to think about the role of art differently.

“[We want people] not only to approach the arts as entertainment…but also [to understand] that the sense of social work while we’re being entertained.”

Photo: Studio art students printing their original T-shirt designs last year in Arts Quad. They will do the same this year at Supercrawl. C/O Anqi Shen.

Rob Hardy / Silhouette Staff

Last December saw the demise of a much beloved institution for many in Burlington and the surrounding area: the closing of the multiplex cinema at Upper Canada Place. The cinema first opened in 1985, run by Cineplex Odeon. As changes in the industry occurred, it was taken over by Encore Cinemas in 1999. For those of you who have never had the pleasure, let me say a bit about what made the movie-going experience there so great.

First of all, the site was located in the heart of beautiful downtown Burlington. Personally, I absolutely loved the layout of this multiplex. It was comfortable and cozy, with a wonderful atmosphere, friendly people and amazingly clean restrooms. The first film I saw there was the Oscar-winner Dead Man Walking. With eight screens, it was big enough to find something to suit your taste and had frequent show times. For those of you from the area, many of whom felt the same, you know what I mean and may be disheartened to hear this news if you weren’t already aware.

The loss has many implications. For one, the ticket prices, as well as concessions, would have knocked some on their backside if they arrived there unprepared for how economical a night at the movies could still be. It was also a wonderful venue for family movie days, especially those who couldn’t afford being fleeced by the consumer mausoleums that now charge nearly fifty bucks for two tickets and “value” combos. Furthermore, it was a great alternative to those who like a quieter atmosphere and didn’t mind seeing films that were a month behind their release date. (I mean, who cares?)

The reason it closed is that the film industry is now moving away from projectors and switching to digital formats, an upgrade that wasn’t financially viable for the theatre. Although that’s understandable, no time was wasted in making plans to gut the place. Even though many people now have home theatres, the appeal of going to the movies has always been so much more than the film itself. It is the actual “going out” part and being in a social setting that makes for a swell night. Knowing that rents have to be paid and foreseeing dwindling prospects, the decision was made to close up shop.

So where does that leave us? Well, despite population increases, we have seen a drastic decline in the number of area movie theatres. Famous Players in Stoney Creek closed down its Fiesta Mall location in 2001, saying it was looking for new opportunities. The replacement that was eventually built years later was not the sort to offer bargain ticket prices, and was snugly set in a shopping consortium that hopes to snag even more of your consumer dollars. It is also many miles away from the previous site – too big of a challenge for those without transportation to get to.

Since then, the location at Upper James has closed as well, along with the cinemas at Centre Mall and Limeridge Mall, Burlington’s Harvester location and the older movie house on Concession Street.

What we are left with, aside from the trio of bigger area Silver City buildings all cajoling for our business is Jackson Square and the single-screen Westdale option. There are times when it’s nice to sit in newer auditorium-style seating, but we also like having choices. And considering the Hamilton/Burlington area has nearly three-quarters of a million people, there are surprisingly almost none now other than the cookie-cutter chains that have helped create this scarcity.

And since going to the movies is no longer old school or authentic, you’re then bound to have the same routine of eye-popping prices, ear-popping speakers and less of an intimate experience every time you go. Maybe that’s why I not only haven’t been to the movies in over a year, but find myself less interested in them period.

Because after all, many movies are now also produced to cater to the movie-going environments being promoted these days, thereby alienating those of us whose idea of a night out isn’t putting on glasses and feeling like we are in a video game.

Brianna Smrke

Most plays can’t be easily compared to party store items, but McMaster Musical Theatre’s production of Into the Woods on Feb. 25 (its second night) wasn’t like most plays. It was pure glitter.

There was glitter on the stage, there were glitter-tossing moments, and there was even glitter decorating the tables where the near-full house sat. Not surprisingly, glitter was specially thanked in the play’s program. But the comparison runs deeper. The production itself fell over you like a shower of sparkles – kind of disorienting, sometimes chaotic and uneven, but more often than not, there were flashes of brilliance.

For the unaware, Into the Woods is a musical mega-fairytale that pulls familiar characters – Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack of Beanstalk fame and more – into a story about choices, connections and consequences. A Baker and his Wife attempt to lift a Witch’s spell, hoping to conceive a child. Their quest draws numerous narrative threads into a single, very tangled cord.

With almost twenty characters and seamless integration of a live orchestral backing, song and dialogue, Into the Woods is undoubtedly a technically demanding show. It could have been easy for the production to become mechanical, or worse, to come unhinged. Thankfully, nothing of the sort happened.

After an uneven opening number, Julia Theberge’s Witch pulled the audience into the play. Wisecracking and slightly terrifying, but somehow strangely relatable as an overprotective parent, she made the script of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine her own. From then on in, it was a character free-for-all. The characters – their challenges, quirks and passions – were what the audience noticed. They shone – sparkled, even – and caught our attention like, yes, glitter.

Madeleine Mant brought an authenticity and sweetness to the Baker’s Wife, even giving a touchingly accurate portrayal of a pregnant woman wincing her way through an elaborate dance number. Choreographer Chantal Labonte was en pointe here and especially also in the solo of Little Red Riding Hood (a wonderfully expressive Nicole Jerdzejko). Harrison Cruickshank and Jason Wolwowicz were scene-stealers as princes. Their duets were met with roars. Cruickshank especially, with his deadpan delivery and delightful self-assuredness, did the near-impossible – making his lamé tunic look simultaneously regal and ridiculous.

No character was too small to leave an impression. Matthew Bergen was a hilariously lecherous Big Bad Wolf. Thomas Ciolfi captured Jack’s sweetness and vapidity. As Jack’s long-suffering mother, Rebekah Pullen’s comedic timing was impeccable. Julie Lane was a believably frail and knobbled grandmother. Harrison Martin gave a surprisingly stirring silent performance as Milky-White the Cow, though his udder was more reminiscent of a deflated jellyfish than anything else.

Chris Vergara as the Narrator was the Everyman Into the Woods needed to pull things together. Part vocal effects (baby birds and human baby cries), part lighting effects (it was he who tossed the glitter) and the rest charm, Vergara broke tension and drew out some large laughs.

The orchestra, perched high above the stage, was effective without being distracting.

Behind the glitter, there still was substance. In conversation, Vergara and Mant both talked about how they hoped audiences would walk away thinking a bit more carefully about their choices. “I hope they realize that the world is a lot more connected than we think. Your decisions have repercussions that you couldn’t predict,” said Vergara.

“It really makes you ask yourself, ‘Once I get a happy ending, what’s next?’” said Mant. “Nothing is as clean and simple as it might at first seem.”

If you like your fairy tales with a little bite, glitz and glamour, take a trip Into the Woods.

Into the Woods continues Thursday, March 1 through Saturday, March 3 with matinee and evening performances at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Hamilton. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $15.00 for students and seniors, available at tickets.lyrichamilton.com.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jemma Wolfe
Senior ANDY Editor

Are artists getting framed? Do you feel framed by society? Framed, this year’s Fall Major production by McMaster’s School of the Arts, premieres this week to much anticipation.

Framed was conceptualized by upper-year Theatre & Film Studies students who wanted to address the way in which artists are perceived and often framed by our present society. The director, professor Peter Cockett, explains, “Framed is about artists, the way they are perceived in our society, the difficulties they face and their ability to reframe our world.”

The play subtly interrogates public attitudes towards the importance of art in its many forms. Six different artists (a ballerina, a sculptor, a street artist, a singer and two digital designers) are mysteriously drawn to the Alternate Dimension coffee shop. There, an unusual barista, with otherworldly insight into the plights of the artists he encounters, magically compels his customers to confront their artistic pasts and come to terms with the circumstances that made them give up on what they loved.

The types of artists’ lives explored in this production were thoughtfully chosen. Cockett explains, “We chose kinds of artists that allowed us to explore different aspects of our central idea. The street artist, for example, allowed us to explore the issue of legitimacy in the art world. Who defines what is art and what is not?”

This production plays on the many meanings of the word “framed.” “The frame has a double meaning in our show. Our artists have been framed by social expectation, and thus the frame is a restrictive presence that limits possibilities. But frames can be moved, and one of the principle values of art for me is its ability to re-frame experience and allow us to see the world in fresh perspective,” explained Cockett. One of the most striking aspects of Framed’s set design is the clever ways that it plays with frames and layers of perception.

Framed is the result of the combined effort of three different classes: the summer term’s Performance Research and Planning, Performance and Community Outreach and Major Production Workshop. These classes gave students a realistic experience of what the realities of creating and staging a play really are.

Cockett was eager to sing the praises of his student cast and crew. “I asked this cast to engage with a complex topic and I have been impressed with the maturity of their response and their commitment to the creative process.”

The first image I saw when I walked into the dress rehearsal was the whole cast and crew standing in a circle together, holding each other’s hands. This pre-show ritual is representative of the relationship between the creative team members that devised the show. Devising, as a theatre process, is all about unity, cooperation and the fusion of collective ideas. There is little hierarchy, and everyone involved, from actors to designers, share the responsibility of inventing the premise, formulating dialogue, building sets, etc.

The benefits of devising processes, as Cockett explains, are that it “brings a multiplicity of perspectives to bear on the issue you are dealing with. It also encourages active engagement from all participants and a sense of collective responsibility within the creative process.”

Framed is a thought-provoking production that both entertains and challenges audiences. Viewers cannot help but consider the power and potential of art to reframe our world, and what is lost when passionate artists lose hope.

Framed is playing on Nov. 11, 12, and 16-19 in Robinson Memorial Theatre (CNH 103) at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at COMPASS and at the door.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jemma Wolfe
Senior ANDY Editor

Are artists getting framed? Do you feel framed by society? Framed, this year’s Fall Major production by McMaster’s School of the Arts, premieres this week to much anticipation.

Framed was conceptualized by upper-year Theatre & Film Studies students who wanted to address the way in which artists are perceived and often framed by our present society. The director, professor Peter Cockett, explains, “Framed is about artists, the way they are perceived in our society, the difficulties they face and their ability to reframe our world.”

The play subtly interrogates public attitudes towards the importance of art in its many forms. Six different artists (a ballerina, a sculptor, a street artist, a singer and two digital designers) are mysteriously drawn to the Alternate Dimension coffee shop. There, an unusual barista, with otherworldly insight into the plights of the artists he encounters, magically compels his customers to confront their artistic pasts and come to terms with the circumstances that made them give up on what they loved.

The types of artists’ lives explored in this production were thoughtfully chosen. Cockett explains, “We chose kinds of artists that allowed us to explore different aspects of our central idea. The street artist, for example, allowed us to explore the issue of legitimacy in the art world. Who defines what is art and what is not?”

This production plays on the many meanings of the word “framed.” “The frame has a double meaning in our show. Our artists have been framed by social expectation, and thus the frame is a restrictive presence that limits possibilities. But frames can be moved, and one of the principle values of art for me is its ability to re-frame experience and allow us to see the world in fresh perspective,” explained Cockett. One of the most striking aspects of Framed’s set design is the clever ways that it plays with frames and layers of perception.

Framed is the result of the combined effort of three different classes: the summer term’s Performance Research and Planning, Performance and Community Outreach and Major Production Workshop. These classes gave students a realistic experience of what the realities of creating and staging a play really are.

Cockett was eager to sing the praises of his student cast and crew. “I asked this cast to engage with a complex topic and I have been impressed with the maturity of their response and their commitment to the creative process.”

The first image I saw when I walked into the dress rehearsal was the whole cast and crew standing in a circle together, holding each other’s hands. This pre-show ritual is representative of the relationship between the creative team members that devised the show. Devising, as a theatre process, is all about unity, cooperation and the fusion of collective ideas. There is little hierarchy, and everyone involved, from actors to designers, share the responsibility of inventing the premise, formulating dialogue, building sets, etc.

The benefits of devising processes, as Cockett explains, are that it “brings a multiplicity of perspectives to bear on the issue you are dealing with. It also encourages active engagement from all participants and a sense of collective responsibility within the creative process.”

Framed is a thought-provoking production that both entertains and challenges audiences. Viewers cannot help but consider the power and potential of art to reframe our world, and what is lost when passionate artists lose hope.

Framed is playing on Nov. 11, 12, and 16-19 in Robinson Memorial Theatre (CNH 103) at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at COMPASS and at the door.

 

 



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