It was just under a year ago that I began to hear the buzz in Halifax that Magnetic North would be coming here. I had a sense that this was kind of a big deal. Magnetic North is, after all, Canada’s only national theatre festival—-a veritable movable feast that exposes Canadians to theatre from across the country, and showcases Canadian theatre to presenters from across the world.
I didn’t know, however, that the Mag North (as it’s commonly referred to) would be a kind of theatre Christmas: Eleven jam-packed days of plays and panels and activities and…and…and…
I’m going to try and share here some of the best of what I see and experience and I hope you’ll take advantage of having innovative Canadian theatre on your door step.
Review:
wag –Â Written and Performed by Denise Clarke
One Yellow Rabbit Theatre (Calgary, AB)
Dancer, actor, story teller. Denise Clarke is all three, and her autobiographical work wag weaves these elements into an engaging work.
The play opens with Clarke swathed in a parka, moving slowly and contemplatively across a wintery landscape. The scene has a dream-like quality.
Clarke’s story slowly unfolds. She has experienced loss, and is searching for joy through movement and connection. Dance allows her to feel fully the pain she is dealing with and also to transcend it.
The story itself is not unique, but the language of its telling is. Clarke uses her body to express what words cannot and uses the language of movement to engage the audience on a deep and unexpected level.Â
In this autobiographical piece, creator/performer Denise Clarke does more than “tell” her story. She extend her hand and pulls the audience into it.Â
Highly recommended.
Preview:Â
Two In The Coop – Written by Ron Fromstein
Halifax Theatre for Young People (Halifax, NS)
One of the aims of Magnetic North is to grow the theatre audience in the host city. What better way to do that than to stage first-class children’s plays?
Two In The Coop is a 40-minute play that tells the story of two young birds, Brad and Pete, who must learn from each other and try to maintain order in the nest. It’s an endearing and insightful piece about children’s fears, and a great introduction to theatre for kids of all ages.
Join in the “community nest weaving” at 2:00 at Alderney Landing before the show on Sunday. Â
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2014.