in the bodies of others
force majeure: the age i’m in comes to carriageworks
Kirstie McCracken, Byron Perry, The Age I’m In
photo William Yang
Kirstie McCracken, Byron Perry, The Age I’m In
THE END OF NOVEMBER SEES THE WELCOME RETURN, AND RE-WORKING, OF A MAJOR DANCE THEATRE WORK, FORCE MAJEURE’S THE AGE I’M IN, AFTER ITS SUCCESFUL PREMIERE SEASONS AT THE 2008 SYDNEY AND ADELAIDE FESTIVALS.
The Age I’m In’s subject is age and its variables as revealed in bodies young and old, being themselves and, in acts of play and empathy, transmuting into others of different ages. It’s a transformation that particularly intrigues in this work as, for example, when Byron Perry and Kirstie McCracken turn child behaviour into gestural dance with an artistry that goes beyond mere mimickry. It’s also rivetting on the actual-virtual plane with the performers dextrously handling small, portable videoscreens they can hold over their faces (replacing them with others) or lower down revealing a naked body, perhaps not their own or even their own age. This play with possible selves is very much of the era of avatars and cyborgs, but in The Age I’m In the focus in the end is always on the actual body—how we experience ageing, regard others in terms of differences in years, and how we embody these in social behaviour and physical intimacy. This is amplified by voices from the public who contributed material to the creation of the work. RT
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Force Majeure, The Age I’m In, CarriageWorks, Sydney, Nov 26-Dec 6; artist talks Dec 1 & 3 after performance; www.carriageworks.com.au; www.forcemajeure.com.au
RealTime issue #87 Oct-Nov 2008 pg. 40
