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Paradise & The Wasieland by Elizabeth Dancoes, directed by Teri
Snelgrove and Dennis Maracle. A Tamahnous Theatre production
at Performance Works, 1218 Castwright St., Granville Island, to

May 9. reservations: 254 4699.

AS IT Monet or Renoir who covered that canvas
with dots which, when viewed from a distance,
captured a sense of space and time with a fleeting

impression?

At 141 was toe callow to admit
interest in front of my peers during
one of those enforced school
marches around all known
culture, but the technique fasci-
nated me.

Paradise & The Wasteland,
Elizabeth Dancoes’ two-part retell-
ing of the Arthurian legends, offers
a simitar experience.

Up close, the pastiche of word,
song, rhythm, sound, set and
video is as difficult to absorb in
any logical (male) fashion as the
width of the set.

But if it is possible to drop all
preconceived romantic notions of
Mallory and Tennyson, to accept
that this play is as much about
elemental myth as about King Ar-
thur, then a different perspective
becomes possible.

Indeed, Dancoes requires it.
This production demands that you
accept it on its own terms.

To some great degree it is worth
the effort.

For me the style, or technique, of
‘4. production was its biggest

zcess, but the psychology con-

ined in Dances’ writing also of-
tered a continual source of fasci-
nation. ..

Where the two combined, one
glimpsed the truths contained in
ritual — an intuitive epiphany for
the soul that made the five-hour
investment of the body worth-
while,

Unfortunately any emotional in-
volvement in Paradise & The
Wasteland was fleeting.

Dancoes has the right and the
skill to reinterpret ihe Arthurian
myth from a feminine perspective.
Indeed, the predominantly male
version of all history would benefit
from a new batance.

But since any argument she may
wish to make is presented in the
form of a story, that story should

_ be accessible.
~ Eventually it becomes clear that
we are witnessing Arthur’s (Sam
Bob) retrospective search for
fulfillment and a new destiny.

But we never get a clear picture
of the man (or any of the men ex-

rtin Millerchip
THEATRE REVIEW

cept Merlin) so it’s hard to care
about him (and them) on a per-
sonal level.

Unlike the pain of Cindy Block's
Morgause or Donna Yamamoto’s
igraine and Guinevere, Arthur's is
neither palpable nor moving.

Gavin Crawford's Lancelot and
Denice Warkentin’s Gawaine suf-
fer the same fate.

But the text’s sexual imbalance
is exacerbated by performance
skills and, while commitment and
energy is never a question, | often
wondered how some of Dancoe’s
denser (and occasionally pon-
derou-} lines might sound in the
mouths of more experienced ac-
tors.

There are some strong perfor-
mances.

My difficulties with indentifying
a Gawaine who appears out of left
field (heraldic, net baseball!) had
nothing to do with Warkentin who
succeeds in conjuring humor and
power as the Great Mother.

Block, Yamamoto and tmelda
Villalon all provide emotionally
honest performances.

But the standout for me was
Shawn Macdonald's Merlin.

Less like a hawk than an
amplified bluebottle on peyote,
this conscience-less predator who
manipulates destiny but accepts
his own fate (and rebirth?) stole
focus whenever he was on stage.

Macdonald was helped im-
measurably by Nancy Bryant’s
startling costume and Freda
Michael’s sound design, but then
the design elements of this pro-
duction are quite stunning.

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ie mythmaking

Susan Madsen’s set is elemental,
complex znd full of surprises. The
central structure alone evokes a
paladin’s tent, a web, decay,
gauzy femininity, steely strength
and inner mystery.

Michael Wolski’s props conjure
ancient symbols but, by using
modern utensils, support a
timeless perspective (the luminous
pearls of wisdom are quite
brilliant).

Jeff Leese’s video images serve
the same function (the recurring
circle theme is rendered as the
double helix of DNA) but are less
successfully integrated into the
production.

Wendy Solloway and Michael's
sound and music help to drive the
energy of the plays, but | wished
more of the company could have
done justice to the songs.

If you see only one of the plays,
Paradise would be the better
choice, besides allowing you the
option of continuing the experi-
ence if you find it enthralling.

~ Klaus Fuemiss from Peppi’s with Kar’
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