Shah and Blah Productions
(Sarah Day and Daniel Davis) present:
Anatomy of a Cloud, an interdisciplinary dance-theatre performance
exploring the shifting internal landscape of a mind in the midst
of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Fri-Sun May 15-17, 2009/ Fri & Sat @ 8pm, Sun shows @ 2pm &
7pm
The Actors Theatre, 1001 Center St, Santa Cruz www.actorssc.org
TICKETS: $15, www.brownpapertickets.com
INFO/RESERVATIONS: 831-425-7529
If our sense of self is comprised of a life’s succession of
memories, who are we as these memories fade and disappear? What
remains of identity as the personal coordinates of our stories and
our physical abilities disintegrate?
This May, Shah and Blah Productions present Anatomy of a Cloud,
an evening length dance-theatre performance exploring the poignancy
and intricacy of these questions.
The show premiered in 2007 as part of The 418 Project’s
Artist in Residence program, and was so enthusiastically received
that it is being presented with new material this year in Santa
Cruz and San Francisco.
Anatomy of a Cloud opens at The Actors Theatre May 15 at 8pm, and
continues May 16th at 8pm, Sunday May 17th matinee at 2pm and evening
show at 7pm. Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com. For
more information contact 831-425-7529/ www.actorssc.org
The Show- Anatomy of a Cloud is a compelling look
at the continually shifting internal landscape of a mind in the
midst of Alzheimer’s Disease. Inspired by the personal family
experiences of co-directors/ performers Sarah Day and Daniel Bear
Davis, this dance-theatre piece is an intimate and sometimes humorous
portrayal of the elements of identity and the process of losing
them.
According to Davis, “The questions this disease catalyzes
about identity are the same questions tackled by Tibetan Buddhism
and countless other spiritual traditions. Close examination requires
us to acknowledge that we all have stories, and without them, there’s
not much to hold on to.”
Featuring Day and Davis’ unique fusion of dynamic movement,
symbolic narrative, and original music composed by locals Ilan Heer
and Jesse Autumn, Anatomy of a Cloud illuminates the corridors of
an episodic mind gradually dislocated in time and space…
The tinkling of music boxes twists and distorts.
The ghosts of memory hang suspended from a clothesline. A woman
converses with her own reflection. A tight clump of bodies becomes
a mass of flailing laughter, caught somewhere between fear and absurdity.
A man floats in the dark, bits of story-book falling from his pockets
swirl down like snow around his loved one.
The desire to connect and the progressive inability
to make connections is innovatively conveyed with dizzying text
and intricate dance. Six performers inhabit the world of the show
utilizing contemporary dance forms, physical theatre, butoh, live
vocalization, and video projection. Embodying rapidly changing mental
states, Anatomy of a Cloud gives form to the personal ghosts we
encounter as the notion of “self” and body disintegrate.
The Context- As the medical community develops greater understanding
and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease in the realm of scientific
research, Day and Davis see the development and presentation of
Anatomy of a Cloud as a way to engage, evoke, and raise awareness
through artistic expression. A recently released study* states that
the U.S. as a whole can expect a 44 percent increase in Alzheimer’s
cases by 2025, strongly indicating that awareness of this debilitating
disease must be brought to the forefront. According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, in Santa Cruz County alone there are 4,000 people grappling
with Alzheimer’s Disease, not to mention the families, loved
ones, and caregivers who’s lives are tremendously impacted.
While there is much clinical documentation available to caregivers
and related alliances, there is little artistic exploration.
* “State Specific Projections Through 2025
of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevalence”
According to Day, “Anatomy of a Cloud seeks to give a creative
voice to the personal essence and very human experience of this
rapidly growing issue, promoting personal introspection while encouraging
a community conversation.”
The Performers- Anatomy of a Cloud is performed by Jo Birns, Laura
Bishop, RD Bolam, Daniel Bear Davis, Sarah Day, and Amanda Greenlee.
The piece is, true to Shah and Blah form, interdisciplinary. Original
music from local composer Ilan Heer and pianist Jesse Autumn add
to Shah and Blah’s already strong recipe of image-rich dance
and poetic narrative.
Shah and Blah Productions co-directors Sarah Day and Daniel Davis
catapulted onto the Santa Cruz performance scene in 2005 and have
since been diligently working to encourage it’s vitality.
Aside from creating many provocative dance-theatre works, Day and
Davis produced a month of cross-disciplinary dance performance involving
nearly 40 artists at the up-and-coming Tannery Arts Center. They
have been presented in Santa Cruz at The 418 Project, in the 2005
and 2006 Contemporary Performance Festivals, and have been seen
creating in site-specific venues. They have also performed in San
Francisco at Counterpulse, and in MA at Earthdance Center for Improvisational
Dance. Their work has been supported by Theatre Bay Area CA$H Grants,
the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz, and Artist Residencies from
the Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Art and The 418 Project.
“Shah and Blah Productions has broadened Santa Cruz’s
understanding of what cross-disciplinary performance work can be.
The depth of their questioning, poignancy of their images, generosity
of their performances, and level of commitment to quality and specificity
has raised the bar for our burgeoning performance community.”
-Crystal Birns, Arts Coordinator City of Santa
Cruz
Daniel Davis has been performing in theatre and dance work for most
of his life, training at Boston University acting conservatory before
shifting focus towards movement-based work. He has trained with
many renowned international teachers including Nancy Stark Smith,
Eiko & Koma, and Nita Little, and has performed with a company
dancing on construction scaffolding (Wire Monkey), in a site-specific
dance film in Joshua Tree (Body Cartography Project), in an inter-generational
company, in butoh and clowning performances, as well as numerous
modern dance projects. He also assistant-choreographed a dance for
35 seniors in Hamburg, Germany under English choreographer Royston
Maldoom (Rhythm Is It?).
Sarah Day has been studying the expressive potential of the body
for the past 12 years. When not working on Shah and Blah projects
she currently dances with Cid Pearlman, has performed in Berlin
with choreographer Felix Ruckert, and has collaborated on numerous
interdisciplinary projects. Since 2005 she has trained primarily
with Frey Faust studying The Axis Syllabus in Europe and the US.
She has also studied with nationally and internationally renowned
teachers including Shinichi Iova-Koga (Butoh), Jess Curtis, Scott
Wells, and Sara Shelton Mann. In addition, Sarah’s background
in performance study includes contemporary dance techniques, Contact
Improvisation, and solo voice work. She is a mixed media visual
artist, photographer, and writer, all of which greatly inspire her
work as a performer.
SantaCruzDance.com
|
