arts / 10

‘Subsequent Conversations’ wants

to Know what you really mean

» Douglas College play explores art of conversation

Adam Tatelman
Senior Columnist

f the name Neil LaBute
doesn’t ring any bells
for you, then the Douglas
College Theatre Department’s
production of Subsequent

Conversations will be a new and
exciting treat. The play, directed :

by instructor Cheryl Swan, isa
collection of five one-act plays
by LaBute, one of my favourite
modern playwrights.

Rather than holding to
a three-act structure, LaBute
cuts theatre down to a concise
form that shuns exposition in
favour of innuendo, sexual and
otherwise. He only shows the
most dramatically significant
moments of his characters’
lives, allowing the audience
to assess the ambiguities
of backstory, location, and
situation in whatever way
makes the most sense at the
time. As a result, we can now
see five full story arcs in one
show.

Obviously, this presents a
challenge to the actors: when

is tackled with ease by the cast,
who play the scenes in the most
natural way possible. The inev-
itable paradox of performance
is that as soon as you try to “act
natural,” you aren't. Clearly the

cast worked tirelessly with their
: director to relax into their roles
: until the words were not spoken :
the text gives only an event with : :
minimal context, how does one :
make it dramatic? This obstacle :

but felt.
The language of LaBute
is conversational rather than

theatrical, so it works best when !
: an actor isn’t “performing” it.
: This serves to make dramatic
: moments even more so,

: contrasting scenes like the

: twist ending in Bench Seat or

 

: the surreal dance club hilarity
: of Guy Walks into a Bar with

arcs of quieter intensity such

: as Merge’s slow-burn reveal,
: Land of the Dead's understated
> tragedy of misunderstanding,

and the malice hidden in the

characters of The Shape of
: Things.

As befits the low-key

: performance, the costumery
: and music are minimalistic.

: However, the set is an

: impressively designed

: abstracted rooftop view that,
: with some clever lighting,

: becomes a car interior ora noisy :
: nightclub. Since all of the actors :
: are always on stage, only the
: scene in progress is illuminated :
: atany onetime. Thisisolates — :
: the characters and their

: stories, organizing the scenes
: into a harmonic discord of

theotherpress.ca

The set is an
impressively
designed abstracted
rooftop view that,
with some clever
lighting, becomes

a Car interior or a
noisy nightclub.

 

: tragicomedy and surrounding
: the active players with the
: ghostly silhouettes of a naked
: city. Sometimes this visual

effect limits the movement of
the actors, particularly when

: they are also confined toa

make-believe vehicle in the

: corner of the stage. Yet the

: scenes themselves still work

: on the intimate scale that the
: Studio Theatre provides.

 

Who is Betty Who?

» Singer gets personal at Vancouver concert

Amei-lee Laboucan
Contributor

etty Who (born Jessica

Newham) is an Australian
singer-songwriter who became
popular in 2013 when a flash
mob proposal video went viral
with her song, “Somebody
Loves You.” Since then she
has released two EPs, The
Movement and Slow Dancing, as
well as a full-length album, Take
Me When You Go. She has been
on numerous talk shows, gone
on several small-venue tours,
and will be the opening act
for the Australian leg of Katy
Perry’s The Prismatic World
Tour later this year.

The Other Press recently
had the opportunity to

 

speak with Betty Who at her
Vancouver concert on October

25.

Other Press: What is the
number one most played
song on your iPod or
iPhone?

Betty Who: “Stop This
Train” by John Mayer. It’s
really incredible.

OP: What is one of your
favourite quotes?

BW: I think it’s Eleanor
Roosevelt: “Well behaved
women seldom make
history.”

OP: Why?

BW: I don’t like being a
good girl.

OP: If you could witness
any event past or present,
what would it be?

BW: Landing on the moon.
I would love to be there. It’s
cool, right? I would want to
be there.

OP: What songs
are included on the
soundtrack to your life?

BW: “Wild Heat” by
Bleachers, “The City” by
the 1975, “Fields of Gold” by
Sting.

OP: What was the first
thing you bought with
your own money from
touring?

BW: The first thing I bought
from touring was my Louis
Vuitton suitcase. I went out,
I treated myself, and I did. I
was like, “I have to go in.” I
signed my record deal and I
was like, “What am I going
to give to myself?” It’s a
Louis Vuitton suitcase.

You can get to know Betty
Who more through her Who
is Betty Who miniseries on her
YouTube channel at youtube.
com/bettywhomusic. You can
also follow her on Twitter @
bettywho, on Instagram @
iambettywho, and like her on
Facebook at Facebook.com/
bettywhomusic. Her music
is available on iTunes and on
Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/
bettywhomusic