I on the Sky, presented by DynamO Théâtre in collaboration with Centennial Theatre and Presentation House Theatre, April 16-18 at Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver. Tickets and info at phtheatre.org or centennialtheatre.com.
When performing artist Yves Simard is on tour and starts to miss home, he looks to the sky for comfort.
"Wherever I am, the sky will always be the same," says Simard, who for the last six years has served as co-artistic director of Montreal-based DynamO Théâtre, a company known for its acrobatic movement and clowning productions. The ever-present nature of the sky is something Simard recalls first taking solace in a few years back while on the road in New York City. At a moment when he felt particularly far from home, he gazed up, high above Central Park.
"The sky over me is the same over my family," he mused.
This thought planted the seed for what would eventually become I on the Sky, the first production Simard has written and directed for DynamO. Premiering in 2011, the show explores themes of loss and exile.
"The story is very simple," Simard explains. "It's the story of a young woman who left her country because of war and she's arrived in a new country."
I on the Sky stops at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre April 16 to 18, just a couple of weeks after celebrating its 100th show in Saskatoon. Like other DynamO productions, it is targeted at families and children (in this case, it is recommended for those 10 and older).
The show opens with a violent storm. The female protagonist finds refuge on a bench in the middle of a park, carrying with her just a small suitcase. Over the course of the hour-long play, she meets many passersby, recalls people from her past and encounters a young runaway girl who has much in common with herself. And all the while, a vast sky brightens, dims and clouds over behind her, mirroring the tone of the action.
The emotive backdrop helps communicate the plot of what is otherwise a non-verbal play. The cast of five performers, all from Quebec and all from different artistic backgrounds - dance, gymnastics, circus and theatre - rely on body language to propel the story forward.
"The movement tells stories and shows the emotion of the character," explains Simard, who has been a performer in previous DynamO productions and, for many years, has also worked as a puppeteer of giant marionettes with Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur.
Meanwhile, the choreography is set to classical music by Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as original piano-heavy compositions by Christian Légaré. The latter was chosen because the main character is a pianist and, among the few possessions from her past life she carries in her suitcase, is some sheet music.
Although the show is geared toward a young audience, it deals with mature subjects of displacement and human resiliency.
"I wanted to tell an adult story for kids," Simard explains, but adds that children will be able to easily understand and follow the storyline thanks to the music, projected sky imagery and "wow" invoking movements. He likens watching I on the Sky to reading a poem.
"It's a highly visual play and the music is very beautiful and it's poetic."
