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Peak Review: Skidrow theatre |
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Review by: Andrew Hinkle with the Peak 18/06/01
Skidrow Theatre put on by Silent Productions at Granville Studios, showcased some of Vancouver's emerging talent in genres such as painting, photography, theatre, poetry, film, as well as home accessories. Skidrow was presented in two parts: there was an art exhibition in the afternoon and performances in the evening.
There were only a limited number of artists showing in the afternoon. Ocean, who is an established artist, presented a few pieces, as did lesser-known artists Emily Tanaka, Jesse Garbe, Keiko Lee Hem, and Justin Wright. Unfortunately, there were no lights illuminating Tanaka's angel-inspired photographs on Saturday, and Garbe didn't want his paintings to be identified, nor did he want to be clearly recognised at the show.
Quite possibly the star of the exhibition was Justin Wright. It was not his three-piece sectional, Implicit, which got attention but his painting, Not on this Tag. This is a graphically stunning painting of a girl from a severe, high-angled POV. It appeared that she was in a meditative state, however this appearance was coated with the power of anarchy and the fear of falling into her correct social folder. This is Wright's fourth painting and it closed the exhibition.
A half-hour interim gave the Silent Production team enough time to meditate over their first production. Heather Taylor and Amy Chu produced and performed in the spectacle.
Taylor opened the evening with her poem, Chakras. This was a memory poem about how a young women became her own personal 'fuck you' to the world - a disturbing piece, partly due to Taylor's ability to reach deep and connect with the audience.
In contrast, Chu's performance of David Lee's play, In-Dependence, was superficial. Natalie Kardum, Chu's costar, was a bright spot, though, deepening her character through snorts of laughter. In the end, the play's message was hard to understand and degraded itself to mere entertainment.
Ntsikie Khewa's piece, A Reflection of Myself, was the low-point of the evening: it was loosely written, Khewa's performance was monotone, and she stumbled over her words throughout. Justin Wright also performed his poem, Suziki at the Cafe.
Self-written and self-performed was Jennifer Mawhinney's play, Miranda's Will. Miranda is a young Irish woman who awaits her hanging in a prison cell, trying to come to truth with herself through an interesting and amazing journey of reasoning.
The final event was the independent film, Percepto: Beyond Good and Evil, by Millipede Pictures. This film is a mocumentary about a man with superhero powers who is troubled by his friend's and parent's attempts to push him into the superhero occupation. Although this film received many laughs, the light and sound elements were in need of a world-class doctor.
With the ups and downs of the event, Skidrow Theatre was neither a disaster nor a success. A little more focus was needed - the afternoon exhibition and evening performances should have been combined. First steps are often clumsy, but are essential to the leaps and bounds made later down the road. And after hitting skidrow, these artists and producers can only go in one direction - up.
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