Subtle Shifts

Photo: Lesandra Dodson

After a whirlwind of activity last week, culminating to three performances in Halifax, the team has returned to Freddy to get ready for the next leg of our journey.

As the dust settles, a few moments from the past week remain with me.

photo: Holly Crooks

On Friday night the audience shared the experience of being blasted with a cold wind as the curtains opened in the theatre. Intentional or not, the cold wind set the mood for a piece about freezing and thawing, Lesandra and others in the house breathing shallowly with me as my limbs 'loose their stifness' and I begin to 'show signs of life.' As I performed the opening part of Her blameless mystery, I was acutely aware of the silence and of the sound of my breath as it cut through the darkness.

Out for drinks after one of the shows two friends shared their interpretation of A leash for two hounds. For one (a man not currently in a relationship) it was about a new relationship, one of uncertainty, of coming and going, not sure whether to stay or to go. For the other (a married woman with a family) it was about the dynamic and power struggles of a seasoned couple, each with their own idiosyncrasies, and boundaries, a push and pull towards and away from the familiar. These two interpretations remind me that what one sees in a piece is a reflection of ones own experiences, and that it is just as valuable to notice what you see, as it is to know what the choreographer intended.

Darryl Tracy & Susanne Chui. Photo: Holly Crooks

(one person had completely different interpretation of the relationship of Darryl and I in the duet - they saw me as a carpet salesman, and Darryl as a ghost!).

Darryl Tracy & Ric Brown
Photo: Holly Crooks

Lesandra leaves space for the audience to enter the work, not dictating one meaning over another. And she gives the dancers this freedom as well. On Friday night the duet had a joyful feel for me, with playful teasing and a warmth between Darryl and I. On Saturday (after some new direction from Lesandra) I entered the work more reserved, more neutral, allowing the actions to be cooler and more matter of fact. With just this subtle shift of intention, everything felt different and the relationship changed.

Photo: L. Dodson

We move into the Fredericton Playhouse tomorrow, a big shift from the black box of the Sir James Dunn Theatre. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new frame, and a new audience, will further transform the works; what will be revealed, what will be lost, and what new things will emerge.

- Susanne