|
Event
Sun and Moon Ensemble Presents Twobird
In the unlikely location of a chicken factory in a small Tennessee town, a young man unfolds his soul journey and finds himself. In Twobird, a solo performance written and performed by Michael McCamish, and directed and choreographed by Maria Lexa, Sun & Moon Ensemble presents a unique blend of penetrating social commentary and rich visual poetry, with a sprinkling of humor and irony. Dance, movement, and mask play combine with narration and naturalism. The main character conjures up vivid scenes portraying the various characters in his life, and Michael McCamish plays all the roles with precision and mastery. The dynamic musical score for Twobird is created and performed live by Nils Frykdahl and Chuck Squier. Southern fried chicken will be available for purchase at all performances, and a discussion with the artists will follow all shows. A special benefit preview of the show will be held on Thursday, March 19 at 8pm. Proceeds from the benefit will support the South Berkeley Community Church's hunger program.
THE STORY:
The protagonist, Malcolm Bruce, comes from a town where you either work in the chicken factory or the prison, and where blacks and whites live on their separate sides of the railway tracks. His grandfather and namesake was broken by his experiences as a POW during World War II, so Malcolm's father decides to do his fighting from the pulpit and becomes a charismatic Southern preacher. Malcolm's mother dies in childbirth, and he is raised by a God-fearing black mammy from the other side of the tracks. Malcolm reaches an age where he begins testing his father's will and his upbringing. At this time, he comes under the influence of Vidar, a traveling musician with magnetic charm and seductive philosophy. Malcolm's lust for life is awakened, and he falls head over heels for his Mammy's niece, Mae Bella, a charming nightclub singer. But when he discovers that his mentor Vidar, has stolen his lover, Malcolm is overcome with passion and attempts violent revenge on Vidar. He is sentenced to prison, where he confronts the harsh reality of prison culture and leads a lonely existence, tortured by recurring dreams of his Uncle Ed, a brutal prison guard. As a reward for good behavior, Malcolm is paroled as a line worker in the chicken factory, slaughtering 182 birds a minute. Through a crisis and personal epiphany, Malcolm discovers meaning in a life of hardship and finds his own strength of spirit.
BIOS:
MICHAEL MCCAMISH worked for two years in a chicken factory. He has 13 years experience as a social worker as well as a Ph.D in social and cultural anthropology. He studied theatre with Eugenio Barba, Director of Odin Teatret in Denmark, and has done arts-related work with prisoners in several European countries as well as at San Quentin here in California. Michael's social commitment comes through with force in the piece he has authored, and he conjures images of his native Tennessee with deep intensity. He has been a main actor with Sun & Moon Ensemble since 2002.
MARIA LEXA, Sun & Moon Ensemble's Artistic Director, worked for 20 years at the forefront of the European arts scene as an actress, master teacher, theater group leader, and international festival organizer, and headed her own non-profit company, Foreningen Freja in Arhus, Denmark. In 2001 she founded the Sun & Moon Ensemble in San Francisco, known for its masterful physical theater and imaginative mask work, giant puppets, live music, and vivid visual expression.
NILS FRYKDAHL, multi-instrumentalist/singer/composer, and CHUCK SQUIER, drummer/percussionist, came into prominence in the 90's in Idiot Flesh, a highly successful Bay Area musical group with absurdist stage spectacles. Squier is also an accomplished visual artist and craftsman, who collaborated on designing the sets and the program for Twobird. For 11 years, Frykdahl has been a member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, whose sold-out performances and widely praised recordings have established them as one of the most influential groups in the American creative rock underground. In recent years he has toured extensively in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand with SGM and with Faun Fables with Dawn McCarthy.
ADDITIONAL COLLABORATORS:
Handcrafted masks by Danish artist KIRSTEN GITZ-JOHANSEN and local artist CHRISTINA SHONKWILER enhance the magic and mystery of Twobird. Berkeley textile artist ASHLEY FOSTER collaborated in creating the set, and San Francisco designer LAURA HAZLITT contributed to the costuming. Lighting design is by ALLEN WILLNER, recipient of the prestigious Isadora Award. Multi-artist IVANA LEXA-FRENCH created the shadow puppets.
THE AUDIENCE: Twobird is appropriate for anyone over the age of 13. It appeals to all adult audiences, and anyone who has ever questioned their religion, rebelled against their parents, worked an undesirable job, lost a loved one, experienced betrayal, fallen in love, or eaten a roast chicken will find common themes and inspiration in this unusual and moving performance.
SOUTH BERKELEY COMMUNITY CHURCH:
The production of Twobird has been developed and is being presented at South Berkeley Community Church in the historic Lorin district of Berkeley. In 1943, the Church became Berkeley's first interracial congregation and today still distinguishes itself through its commitment to community service, including its weekly youth program and its hunger program, which serves meals to the homeless. The Thursday, March 19th preview will benefit the church's hunger program.
CALENDAR LISTING:
WHAT: Sun & Moon Ensemble premieres Twobird, a solo multi-media show
Written and performed by Michael McCamish
Directed and choreographed by Maria Lexa
Music created and performed live by Nils Frykdahl and Chuck Squier
WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 2009 @ 8pm. Preview. Pay what you can.
Preview benefits South Berkeley Community Church hunger program
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, March 20-22, 2009 @ 8pm
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, March 27-29, 2009 @ 8pm
(Discussion follows all shows.)
WHERE: South Berkeley Community Church
1802 Fairview St (at Ellis) Berkeley
3 blocks from Ashby BART
Street parking available
TICKETS: $10-$25 sliding scale
Brown Paper Tickets: (800) 838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com
AGE LIMIT No children under 13
Hi res photos: www.sunandmoonensemble.org/gallery.html
INFO: www.sunandmoonensemble.org (415) 282-4331
* Southern fried chicken will be available for purchase at all performances.
|
|
 |
LocationSouth Berkeley Community Church
1802 Fairview Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 13 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
|
Contact
|
