The United States has elected its first African American president, and much public discourse has centered around the significance of this turn in American history. It is, of course, a tremendous moment, but what bothers me about the current media hoopla surrounding Obama is the sub-text of absolution; it is as if by having elected a man of colour to the most powerful position in the U.S. government, the rest of America can wipe the slate clean of its past and ignore its present tragedies.
Your Extended Plank Panel:
Michael John Unger; Rachel Scott; Alan Bartolic; Bryan Coffey and
Stacey Lynn Mitchell have all seen at some point seen Raymond Burr murder his wife.
they are composing a dance
working and reworking
and writing it down and changing things and discovering things and
going home to write it all down again and come back the next day with new ideas
Bravo. Touchstone Theatre's world premiere of Influence demonstrates phenomenal ensemble work. All elements of the production - writing, acting, direction, and design - come together to create a show that is expansive, witty, intelligent, and moving.
Influence, Daniel Arnold, Colleen Wheeler, photo: David Cooper
When I was in high school, my English teacher delighted in torturing our class with impossible moral choices. His favourite scenarios involved cages suspended over vats of acid.
Kerry van der Griend in MOURNING DOVE; photo by Damon Calderwood
Your Plank Panel going to battle: Rachel Scott, writer and general troublemaker. Her nose is straight, small with a flare, and tilted slightly to the left. Michael John Unger, writer and performer with the sketch comedy troupe The Skinny. His nose would probably be described as medium to large, and has a tendency to bleed a lot.
Don't mention the nose! Carmen Aquirre looks on at David Mackay and Melissa Poll in Cyrano; photo: Emily Cooper
I’m tired of hearing about Joe the Plumber. The fact that his name is dropped ad nauseam is part of it, but the bulk of the reason is that this unlicensed pipe technician is held up as the little guy entrepreneur whose dreams are going to be crushed by the tax man. A laughable idea considering his six figure income puts him head and shoulders above the majority in terms of financial comfort.
David Hare’s Stuff Happens is the dense chronicle of America’s post 9-11 decision to invade Iraq. Running concurrent with the US elections, this Vancouver Firehall Arts Centre production offers a well-timed and potent examination of the American identity during Bush’s hawkish and flawed presidency. Stuff Happens is a three-hour beast of a play that includes testimony (some verbatim, some imagined) from the major political players of this era.
