Not many theatrical performances can say they have something for almost everyone, but Thread is no ordinary theatre production. The show combines elements of drama, music, film and visual art to create what the program dubs an “inter-media performance.” Thread is the cumulative project of Contemporary Cultural Performance in Practice, an interdisciplinary course never before offered at Queen’s.
The course, taught by professors Clarke Mackey (film), Kim Renders (drama), Matt Rogalsky (music) and Kathleen Sellars (art), allows students to synthesize elements of these four disciplines into a single performance.
“We felt that all creative arts departments were doing their own thing with not a lot of interaction,” Mackey said. “So we designed a course where all four work together.” For students in the class, the experience has been both rewarding and challenging.
“Collaborating creatively is one of the biggest challenges for an artist, especially when different styles and disciplines are combined,” said Kristin Rodgerson, a fourth-year stage and screen student.
Each student was asked to contribute something from each of the four disciplines, which were then incorporated into the performance or the performance space.
“People were doing things they weren’t used to doing,” Mackey said. “Actors were sewing, artists were acting, and musicians were making films.” The course began with an enrollment of 31, but finished with 16 students due to what Rodgerson called “survival of the most adaptable.” Though the demands of the course were evidently high, those that remained with the class are excited about the project.
“The group that stayed is incredibly talented,” said Kat Sandler, a fourth-year drama student. “Everyone brings something unique to the production and it’s different from what people are used to, but that’s definitely a good thing.”
The show has a mythological theme and every aspect, including the performance itself—which isn’t limited to the stage and spills off the performance space—represents myth’s epic nature.
Approaching Convocation Hall, where the performance takes place, you’re greeted by one of the visual art aspects of the production: massive inflatable-looking outdoor sculptures. Some appear to suggest organs, while one is heavily printed with messages such as “Visibility is a Trap” and “The Gaze is Everywhere,” hinting at some of the themes addressed in the performance.
Loosely based on the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun against his father’s wishes and had his wings melted off before falling into the sea and drowning, the performance also addresses other myths, including creation stories and the Minotaur, for whom Icarus and his father built a labyrinth to contain. The students took these ideas and explored the stories in non-traditional ways. The story of a parent losing a child—as Daedalus lost his son Icarus in the Greek myth—is told using textile movement. The baby begins as a pile of cloth, and as it’s being taken away, the cloth is unravelled across the stage.
“The overarching theme is the loss of a child,” Rodgerson said. “But there is also a sense of being overwhelmed that is symbolic of [Icarus] drowning.” The feeling of being overwhelmed manifests itself through images and overlapping sound—expressed non-verbally, through layering of multimedia, acting and music.
While Icarus drowned in the ocean, in this show the actors drown in a cacophony of media. The cast interacts with each other and with three large screens displaying video projects above the stage—including one that shows a Big Brother-like video feed of a Kingston cityscape. Though the resulting production looks seamless, cast it working on Thread has been an uphill battle.
“What made this process different was that there were no rules,” Sandler said. “We’re working in a media that hasn’t been tried before and we weren’t used to it and didn’t know how to use it at first.” But ultimately the students found their direction, thanks in large part to the commitment of their four professors and what Mackey calls “team teaching.” The cast is quick to praise the approach taken by the professors, as well as the efforts of their fellow students.
“[The class] is Clarke’s baby,” Sandler said. “But all the profs have worked just as hard as we have.
“As much as the process was trying, we have a true collaboration; we met all these people from other fields and together we created something great.” Thread runs from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9 in Convocation Hall. Tickets are $5 and $3 for students, available at the door. A portion of the proceeds go to the Kingston Youth Shelter.
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