more culture...

Ken and I had the chance to catch Beyond Eden yesterday at the Vancouver Playhouse. It was very well done. John Mann of Spirit of the West, and Tom Jackson, from North of 60 and Relic were the leads of this moving masterpiece. It is a shame that last night was the end of its' run, otherwise I would heartily recommend getting out and seeing this play.

I believe this play has an important place in BC arts and culture. At the end, Jackson commented that this is the first time Haida has been spoken on stage. Beyond Eden brought an important piece of BC history to light. Although the main characters are fictional, this play was inspired by the controversial 1957 expedition by Bill Reid and Wilson Duff to Haida Gwaii. The staging, lighting, and sound effects were awesome. I found that it moved at a really good clip, and I was sad to see it end. Mann's voice is definitely unique, and it was cool to see him act instead of front SOTW. Jackson has real stage presence, and I almost wish his character, the Watchman, had more scenes so I could listen to his deep baritone. The whole crew felt really tight, and the costumes were appropriate. The pacing was swift, and the story evoked a range of emotions for me - from elation, to frustration, to reflecting upon what totems and First Nations cultures do mean to me and within the greater tapestry of BC. I felt pretty fortunate to have made it out to such an amazing play and to see that it was completely sold out and that there were a range of patrons out to see it - not just the older set, people of all ages.

It has been strangely exotic in my life - I never would have dreamed that with two young kids I would actually have the opportunity to see not one, two, or three, but four amazing plays in short order. Amazingly enough, it is Phantom that is at the bottom of the four that I have seen but each has had it's merits and have been wonderful experiences. It feels great to get back in touch with that part of myself and to be with someone who also appreciates live theatre as well.