Edinburgh FringeReview 2015: Bayou Blues – CalArts Festival Theater

With an impressive number of awards behind her, Shaina Lynn invites us to join her as she sidles through the dreams of Beauty, a young black girl who experiences her first Mardi Gras. A play that investigates how people and places first appear, personifying immediate judgements vs. the darker, or lighter truths underneath.

Photo Credit: Via Shaina Lynn Twitter

Venue 13 is a little off the beaten track of the cows and domes, but a venue with an extremely welcome change of pace. The auditorium larger than it appears from outside, the minimalist design of Tanya Orellana setting us up nicely to be transported to another world. It’s safe to say Lynn knows what she’s doing, her piercing gaze picking out every single audience member as she welcomes us into her story. Dressed in a waterfall of patterned blue material, performer and set design melt together irresistibly, with beautiful projections aiding her engaging narrative.

We follow the story of Beauty, a young girl who’s skin is considered “too dark” to be beautiful. The time or year seems irrelevant, conveying moments of the past and present. Lynn portrays an array of characters as well as Beauty, who conclude the same verdict. New Orleans grows from colourful beads and brass bands into a world of shadow, controlled by light and projections.

The narrative jumps slightly, forward through time to a New Orleans that finds itself underwater, reflecting on the devastating effects that Hurricane Katrina had on the country. The technical aspects of the show were matched well to Lynn’s on stage movements, highlighting and never out of place. The animation work through projecting onto the strips of material aligning the back of the stage was nothing short of stunning, aiding to Lynn’s enchanting stage presence.

Lynn’s warm and comforting demeanour allows you to relax and let her work her magic across the stage. Combining movement, dance, spoken word and rap, the script is a mash up of poetry and prose, with every word delivered home by a very capable actor. The structure of the plot is pieced together surprising and jarringly at times, the shifts in time and place taking a few sentences to recollect the audience. The multitude of characters Lynn attempts are sometimes unclear, especially through moments of dialogue between two similarly aged characters. This was always forgiven, however, as the young actress managed a poise and elegance beyond her years juxtaposed with a cultural vitality that often surprised.

Overall, the performance was a charming take on some meaty themes. You sense a strong impression of collaboration between the production team, and a well-deserved pride that comes from achieving an ambitious show. For a welcome change of pace from the manic mile, head down to Venue 13 and rise and shine with Beauty in the Bayou.

Published August 14, 2015 by Elizabeth Williams

Show Website

http://www.theshainalynn.com/

Edinburgh FringeReview 2015: Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Written and originally hosted at FringeReview. Link: http://fringereview.co.uk/review/edinburgh-fringe/2015/fake-it-til-you-make-it-3/

Bryony Kimmings discovers her partner, Tim, suffers with depression. As part of the treatment, we are welcomed to listen to their personal story, as the recount the swings and roundabouts that come from living with mental illness.

Photo: Richard Davenport

The Traverse Theatre has been home to some of the most risk-taking theatre on the circuit in the last decade, drawing in an affluent crowd of critics and artists alike. This award-winning show fits well within that category, as we are invited to join the conversation between Bryony Kimmings, and her long-term partner Tim Grayburn, the topic: his own depression.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the couples’ courage to make this piece – the humility and endearment of both parties making it difficult to consider as simply a moment of theatre. Kimmings, a theatre practitioner and artist in her own right, suggested that Grayburn and she make a show about their progress through his battle with his illness. Grayburn then quit his job in advertising to pursue the notion with Kimmings, in order to tackle the issue head on, and simultaneously address the wider social issue of men with mental illnesses, often suppressed by the sufferers themselves.

The story has a simplicity that only comes from real life. Girl meets boy. Boy likes girl. They go through all the same commonplace milestones as the next couple. Seeing as Kimmings is very much pregnant, we can assume that the relationship is still going strong, and making a successful show together providing a dramatic irony to everything we are witnessing. The performative elements such as tongue-in-cheek dance pieces, daft songs, and exaggerated costuming, alongside the familiar plot points seduces you into forgetting that this is, in fact, a true story, concerning the very people in front of you. When we are reminded of this fact, it is with devastating effect, and the façade is unable to keep up with the reality of the content.

Kimmings and Grayburn bound around the stage and audience, leaving no space left unturned on the Traverse’s thrust stage. The authenticity of the couple makes for extremely endearing viewing, both parties partaking in playful movement and candid conversation that comes from true intimacy. Kimmings explains that Grayburn’s involvement in the show comes under the condition that he does not have to look the audience in the eye, which results in him wearing some beautifully inventive headwear and masks. Through transitions, we hear recordings of the couple at different stages of the recovery process, whilst symbolic objects and movement combined with cleverly placed lighting allow every moment to communicate much more than the face value.

As far as production values go, the technical elements of the performance do nothing new, combining direct addresses with alienating dramatised moments in order to have a hard, satirical look at a prominent issue. However, this is exactly what Kimmings and Grayburn have set out to achieve – nothing on stage is pretence, just an honest reaction and account of how this couple have dealt – are dealing still, with their lives together. There is no doubt that this is an important play – a term that doesn’t seem to match up to the gravity of this fearless achievement. Even if they don’t relate to the themes directly themselves, everyone has someone they know that needs to see this.

Published August 16, 2015 by Elizabeth Williams

Show Website

http://www.bryonykimmings.com/

End of the Eyeliner

Today is April 1^st – and marks the end of my Make Up experiment. I feel I definitely need to apologise to those who may read my blog; I have been the busiest of souls, but this is no excuse. My facilitation course with the all girl school finished in a performance last week, as well as a 2 week research and development showcase for Whole Hog Theatre’s production of Princess Mononoke, as well as auditions here and there along the way. I haven’t seen my friends in a very long time…or the sun.

I have all the imaginary friends I need, thank you. I was basically Goo as a child…

I definitely feel as though it’s the end of…something. I’m no longer a represented artist, as I decided that I wanted to go freelance to explore my options for a while. This ended up happening the same day as my two week research and development rehearsals ended, and everyone who wasn’t London based slowly filtered out of my house, leaving me feeling very much exhausted, alone, and deflated. The empty wallet and lack of rich handsome man to take me out for dinner doesn’t seem to appease the situation, though cheap red wine is greatly improved by mulling – It’s seasonal, sure, but seasons are all year round, and Tesco is selling it off as excess stock (you heard it here first…)

Drinking can become a serious problem if you don’t train everyday…

I was constantly on tubes, writing down different things to write here about what’s happened to me over the last few weeks. It’s now a garbled bunch of notes that look like the lyrics to some kind of cult hymn, but let’s see what we can decipher. Here’s some stuff that I like to think I’ve learnt, or at least deduced:

1. ¾ Liz’s agree: Wearing makeup increases productivity by up to 40%…

If I’m preparing for an audition or interview and I have some slap on, I feel more confident, more mature (since I have the face of a child, seriously, nothing is worse than being ID-ed for Anadin…), and like I’ve made an effort for something or someone that I want to appear that way for. And think about it, wouldn’t you be happy to think someone had made an effort for you? Ok, a little far-stretched, I’d prefer chocolate but I think there’s an underlying comparison there.

 

2. Make Up and Men – Final feminist rant, I promise…

This was the worst thing about wearing makeup. I’ve walked down the streets near my home and work countless times wearing my workshop sweats and oversized coat because come on, this is England (good film, terrible weather). I honestly don’t know what goes through the minds of some men. I had some horrific things said to me by men of all colours and ages, but mainly older – 30+ up to 80 years old – with little sisters and daughters. Even when I had my baggiest of clothes on, as soon as they saw my face they made up their minds whether they’d like to bang me or not. Which is actually quite good, considering they can’t see other places and are looking at my face. I’d just love to know where along the way harassment became acceptable because dear lord am I fed up of feeling uncomfortable all the time. Rant over.

 

3. I’d take the extra half an hour in bed…

Second worst. Getting up extra early, doing it on the tube if I was late – just such a hassle. Like shaving my legs, only gonna do it if I know someone I care about is going to see.

 

4. Recognition

This was a weird one. Basically, some people stopped recognising me. I ran into people I knew on the tube, in the street, from all walks of life, and it took them a relatively long time to realise who I was. And it was always concluded with “Oh WOW, don’t you look well?” Yes, my manufactured rosy cheeks give the impression my body isn’t falling apart. Pity you can’t cover up coughing your lungs out and nose blowing. I always ended up with a red nose poking out of the foundation by the end of the day: Cover = Blown. Literally.

 

5. It’s all relative.

So I had many conversations with girls that went something like:

Them: Oh, I can’t imagine not wearing make up

Me: Why?

Them: Because I look ill without it.

Me: Really, what makes you say that?

Them: People always ask me if I’m feeling ok or say that I look tired – and I’m always like no…I just don’t have any make up on.

Me: But if you didn’t wear make up all the time, then that wouldn’t be a thing, because people would get used to you without make up rather than with?

Them: Yea but I couldn’t. I don’t have the face for it like you do. You have like, one of those faces that doesn’t need make up.

Then I’d probably get annoyed and give up because EVERYONE HAS A FACE THAT DOESN’T NEED MAKE UP. We choose to do it, for sure, fine, but to say it’s a necessary requirement because of your type of face – hahaha no. In fact, my skin has never been worse since I started wearing it, all kind of crazy blemishes and spots I haven’t had since the Days of Yore and Yellowcard. Basically, the only reason people say you look tired is because you wear is all the time, and it covers up most natural element of the face – which is what it’s supposed to do. If you want to avoid this response, then start to wean it out. Go to a tinted moisturiser, then just wear eye stuff (technical term). Also now’s the time – barefaced for cancer research awareness – everyone’s doing it for a good cause so any one who comments on your looking ‘tired’ is obviously satan. Feel free to tell them so.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/?gclid=CNXOla6Qv70CFa-WtAodBksAHA

Conclusion?

I don’t have one. Like I said,  wasn’t doing this to have any great epiphany on the theories of female objectification and image. I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy some of the responses I got to wearing more make up. To be honest, I’ll probably do it more often now. Unfortunately, with the world constructed around us like it is, wearing makeup is the same of wearing a good suit. Except we have to buy fancy clothes and good make up. But that’s only necessary in circumstances where you have to confine your behaviour for professional purposes – so naturally, your appearance and demeanour aren’t actually natural. They’re matching the environment of that particular workplace or event. On the other side of the spectrum, no one would expect you to wear a suit and Mac products at a festival or concert – although you’re being seen by just as many people.

 

There are times in life when we can’t act how we want, where we can’t let our Id and desires go and ravish and pillage until it’s satisfied. There are similarly times when we can act like a complete wazzock and make out with someone’s boyfriend and get too drunk and fall asleep in the bath. The middle ground is where it’s at – using our perceptions to figure this one out because honey, no son of a gun is going to tell us what to do so it’s all ok. But it will be. Regardless, because these are the years when we can mess up – a lot – and we still have a time to start again. So I’ll be living a balance of images, taking a few more risks concerning image and lifestyle choices, and hey I’ll probably share with all you lucky buggers.

 

Love Em. x