The Queen West Project – Toronto as a theatre
Sound design and composition by Thomas Ryder Payne
The Queen West Project by Deborah Pearson and Allison Cummings is a Theatre Passe Muraille Production as part of their Metcalf Foundation-supported Theatre Beyond Walls Season.
Photo via queen west project on tumblr
Devised in collaboration with youth from Eva’s Phoenix, the production explores the area’s relationship to homelessness, mental health and regeneration.
In this production, a small area of Queen West in Toronto is the theatre for audience members wearing headsets. As they move through and participate in Queen West, they are not necessarily aware of who they encounter are part of the production and who are other Torontonians going about their lives.
The show has a Tumblr here, and an info page here. Seriously limited amount of tickets available here. Opens tomorrow.
“And those who were seen dancing were thought mad by those who could not hear the music.”
Nietzsche
I saw this extraordinary piece last night. What a gift to the person who gets to experience this intimate, daring, humane and thoughtful creation. Even though I am a performer, too, I had this niggling feeling of skepticism – what was this piece going to BE? What was expected of me in response? All those feelings melted away after the first few steps into the experience. It’s quite hard to describe, but I felt such a connection to the narrative and then to the dancer/leader. My heart (and my eyes, too) felt a little swollen by the end of it. Don’t want to say too much or lay it all bare, but it was a beautiful experience and very ‘passe-muraille’. I highly recommend it!