Hard Times Hit Parade! Uplifting in our creative depression The Dusty Flowerpot By Julia Siedlanowska “Be prepared to step into another world,” is something of what the sign outside the door of the Russian Hall in Strathcona read. The world is that of a 1930's Dance Marathon. The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret has put together a collaborative . “Theatrical Extravaganza” that showcases the talents of many local artists. This is what pleased me the most about the show (other than the pure innovation and entertainment that it was). In September I had heard about magician Travis Bernhardt performing at the Fringe Festival: That same month I had seen the band “Maria in the Shower” busking on Granville Island— a man playing the trumpet stood on his fellow band member’s cello and belted. This same magician, and this same band, along with over one hundred different performers and volunteers, provided the sultry and boppin’ vaudevillian atmosphere for the show. The 30’s presented us with the Great Depression, and many curious offsets that it created. One of these offsets were Dance Marathons—endurance contests where people would dance non-stop for months to win a grand prize (don’t worry, they got seven minute breaks every hour). In “The Hard Times Hit Parade,” written and directed by Kat Single-Dain, we follow the journeys of the contestant and the producers of the marathon. Uncle Rex, the host and producer of this “Dance Marathon of the Century,” is played by Douglas College’s own David McMurray- Smith, who teaches movement in the Theatre Department. (McMurray-Smith is one of the artists in the show with over thirty-five years experience performing.) Throughout this gruelling journey, we see the dancer’s exhaustion turn to hallucination. Mind of a Snail Puppet Co. uses overhead projections to give us insight into the hearts and minds of the dancers as their confidence begins to crumble. Silhouettes of the actors behind sheets typing letters to their mothers, brushing their teeth, or having a shower give us insight into the backstage lives of the contestants. When the contestants are forced to sleep in front of the audience, their hallucinations come alive in the form of giant puppets controlled by the “sleeping” actors, with the illusion that the puppets are pulling the dancers out of bed. In a particularly beautiful scene, one of the contestants does a dance suspended inside of a giant circus ring. Another dances with a coat rack. The magnitude of talent and innovation in this production is difficult to sum up. The show touches on some of the socio-economic issues that have remained current since the decade preceding World War II in a witty way. It touches on the desperation of people who simply wanted to win a few bucks in a way that would almost make us believe they were doing it for fun. “Hard Times Hit Parade” pumps some life into the Vancouver scene dominated by mainstream, often creatively drained, theatre. I’ve seen “progressive” theatre like this, but never on such a large scale. I was inspired by all the artists that were resilient enough to create original art in these “hard times.” Now let’s support them! They need to eat too! What you need to know: Who - Dusty. Flowerpot Cabaret What - Hard Times Hit Parade Where - The Russian Hall When - February 24 - March 18/Thurs - Sun @ 8:00pm Angela Espinoza Arts Reviewer en initially entering the set of Twelfth Night, the first thing you’ ll notice is an ominous blue glow. Images of an open sea are brought to life by the streams of light flowing against them. Silhouetted by this scene is a lone, hanging swing centered on the stage. As the gentle sounds of the ocean build, they morph into crashing waves and roars of thunder. Two figures appear, again silhouetted, clambering to the swing as they desperately reach out for each other, eventually separated by the violent storm. In this rendition of the classic Shakespeare piece, the stagecraft department has once again outdone itself. The passage of time is shown by the use of budding flowers and colourful leaves that fall consistently throughout. Light fluidly moves scenes from day to night, and always highlights the actions at hand. When the scene is in neither Orsino’s or Olivia’s court, the stage becomes a grand and gallant forest for which the characters often play or hide in. However, the Kingdom of Illyria, despite its beauty and changing form, is still just setting for its largely exuberant cast. Each character is paired with a memorable performance by the play’s many talented actors. Viola/Cesario Twelfth Night ‘or What You Will’ Not just another take on this Douglas-presented Shakespeare comedy (Sarah Canero), the Duke Orsino (Marc Williams), and (amongst other personas) Curio (Jonathan Hamilton) are presented with the daunting task of having to remain sane amidst the actions of their frightfully zany peefs. While the wealthy and lovely Lady Olivia (Andrea Ashton) impetuously pines for “Cesario’s’ love, her drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch (Sean Noll), along with his pals, Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Charlie Black), Maria (Erica Heim), ‘Fabian (Sara Hutchings), and the musical Feste the Jester (Lara Deglan), devises a cruel practical joke on Olivia’s proud servant, Malvolio (Michael Bortolin). As things begin to spin out of control, Viola’s twin brother Sebastian (Joshua Ackermann) appears with friend Antonio (Leonardo Samuel), only to cause more mischief for the kingdom. Under the direction of Thrasso Petras, Twelfth Night takes on a vision of its own in this new Douglas production. When not greeted by the soothing voice of Deglan, who accompanies the play’s songs with acoustic guitar, various cast members will jump right into the audience, presenting us with not so much a soliloquy, but a conversation, so to speak. Despite the recurring themes and images of cruelty, the show at heart is a light and hilarious love story. There is an impeccable wit carried by the many actors in this show, and their personalities are matched only by their uniquely designed costumes. An excellent production by all those involved, and may the follow-up performances be as fun and exciting as the first.