Big Sky premiere examines real life with creative style

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Here's a refreshing new theatrical group that does what comes naturally. In other words, members of Big Sky Theatre ad lib a lot. This became more than apparent in their Oct. 26 to 30 debut of Dance Between The Worlds, a comedy drama with lovable, laughable snippets that stream through a production that deals with spirituality, love, hate, trauma, arguments, and co-operation, as well as values, beliefs and cultural traditions.

Utilizing the talents of four actors, in addition to sound people, the play was performed at Edmonton's Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples. One of the sound people, Cathy Sewell, was permitted a free hand to bring life to the play's sound.

"The spooky part where Karen threatens to jump off a cliff, as well as one scene near the end which involves a round dance, provided a true test of ingenuity on utilizing and improvising sound," she explained. "You can't beat live sound and, modified, it really added to the experience to create a unique mood."

Father Jim Holland said he always felt it would be kind of neat to have a taste of theatre at the altar and that is exactly what he got.

The cast, consisting of director Anna Marie Sewell, Chris Ladouceur, Tanya Tourangeau and Rocky Dumais, employ many skills, including wit, satire, sarcasm, imagery, conflict and much more. The foursome seem to forever improvise as the performance shifted from scene to scene while the artists blended that which was eerie, funny, or whatever seemed to be called for.

It's called bone-scripting. The group employs traditional stories, personal experiences and imagination in plotting and presenting a tasty morsel of live theatre.

Big Sky Theatre hopes its production will get picked up by the Fringe festival next summer. What would be nice, according to Sewell, is if it were also included in the next Dream-speakers Festival.

During its premiere, classes from Ben Calf Robe School and from the Prince Charles Awasis program, attended the production. Plans are also being made to present it at the University of Alberta, Concordia College, and Native friendship centres across the province.

The idea for Dance Between The Worlds formulated last spring while members of the cast were attending a class instructed by Maria Formolo who runs her own production company and instructs dance for independent artists. As for the script, Sewell, Ladouceur, Tourangeau and Vince Rain developed it, then refined it on stage.

Big Sky initially forwarded a proposal in its search for funding to set up the theatre company and to pay salaries for one year through the National Association of Friendship Centres. The resulting money enabled the group to tour communities, schools and friendship centres and to purchase a van for their travels.

The group believes they've got something good going. Sewell claims it is their flexibility and the use of improvisation that makes the production so unique.

"You never see the same story twice," she explained.

Playing things by ear does have a few distinct advantages.

"If a certain part appeals to the audience and catches fire, it can be built upon and elaborated on," said Sewell. The feedback and energy that stems from the audience serves as a conductor or guide for what develops as the story moves along.

Good stuff; you don't want to miss it when it rolls your way.