Most of us know the bare bones of the tale of Madama Butterfly: American Naval Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton takes a Nagasaki bride, one Miss-soon-to-be-Madama Butterfly (also known as Cio-Cio-San). Their Japanese marriage becomes the centre of the fifteen-year-old ex-geisha's existence, while to Pinkerton it is merely an exotic interlude, a kind of delirious mock-up of the real thing, which can only exist in the West – someday in the future-West, when he has finished sewing his wild oats. Pinkerton eventually abandons Butterfly, returning to Nagasaki three years later with a “real” American wife,...
What a great concept for a play. Harry Partch was an American composer and instrument maker who, according to Wikipedia, “was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in 11-limit (43-tone) just intonation”.
Linda Quibell looking for the boy; photo: Chris Randle
The strength of the 12 Minute Max showcases is in their brevity. At their best, the performances are like haiku: pointed and poetic, double-edged in their meanings. On the whole, this year's showcased were strong, and kudos must go not only to choreographers and performers, but to the curators as well, who assembled an original and entertaining line-up for 2010.
In his review in the Georgia Straight, Colin Thomas describes Deborah Williams, who plays Becky in Becky’s New Car (on now at the Arts Club), as “so perfect for the role—she brings such warmth and comedic skill to it—that it feels like the part could have been written for her”. Thomas is bang on. I can’t imagine what this show would have been without Williams.
Thank God for Deborah Williams as Shirley...we mean Becky
For the opening night of the explorASIAN Festival on May 8th, Co Erasga performed OrienTik/Portrait at the Frederick Wood Theatre at UBC. The performers included dancers Alvin Tolentino and Andrea Nann and taiko drummer Jordan Riley. Piano player Alison Nishihara was absent due to illness. Even with recorded piano and some obvious silent gaps, OrienTik/Portrait remained coherent and moving. Composed of distinct images, driven by bold energy and clear intention, it was a work of aesthetic simplicity in the best possible sense.
If, like me, you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with work and unable to do anything well because you’ve taken on too many things, then I suggest you head downtown to the salubrious surrounds of the Metro Parking Garage and take in Bridge Mix. It’s theatre with a serotonin kick and I guarantee you’ll come out feeling a whole lot better. Even if you’ve been feeling rather chipper, give it a go – we can always use a bit of body-induced sunshine.
For a generation that believes that M Night Shyamalan invented the trick ending, the Vancouver Playhouse has resurrected a modernist narrative experiment that proves that story-telling trickery has been with us for a long time.
