Pope Joan
By Women's Circus
At Russell St. Police
Garage until Dec 6, 1997
Reviewed by Kate Herbert around Nov 22, 1997
If you were a convent
gal you will understand how uproariously funny it is seeing 20 nuns teetering
on another nun's bottom or upside down, skirt around her ears.
Such is the display of antics in the Women's Circus new
production, Pope Joan. The remarkable new Artistic Director, Sarah Cathcart,
has developed, through research, a physically based show which explores women
and the Catholic religion: women as nuns, convent schoolgirls, witches and -
yes - as Pope.
Joan, a member of the Irish Brigidine order of nuns, was
incarcerated for questioning the Bishop's edict that women must not celebrate
the Eucharist or dance in the church because they are not made in the image of
Christ: i.e. 'a bearded Jewish fisherman'.
Joan escaped to Athens then Rome with her lover, a monk. She
became a scholar and, in her male guise, the favoured successor to Pope Leo in
853 AD. Unfortunately, the quirky tale goes, she gave birth outside the
Colosseum and was stoned to death by angry mob of female-pope-haters.
Cathcart has adapted her own extraordinary performance style
to create a deliciously witty and cunningly simple structure which highlights
the range of skills of this enormous cast of amateur acrobats of all shapes,
sizes and ages. There is a cohesion in this production which has been absent
from previous Women's Circus shows. Joan's story is cleverly interwoven with
anecdotes from a novitiate nun from the 1950's and from schoolgirls in a Wagga
Wagga convent.
The delightful visuals and physical skills create a parallel
narrative to the spoken personal stories. Groups of women provide symbolic
action and imagery. One of the most powerful scenes depicted the burning of
witches as tortured action on trapeze finishing with women dangling by their
feet from ropes.
In addition to fifty actors, there is a live band and chorus
which provide latin chants and evocative music under the direction of Kim
Baston. The simple yet dramatic lighting, designed by Efterpi Soropos, takes
advantage of the cavernous space of the Russell Street Garage.
Amanda Owen, Anni Davey (Circus Oz, Club Swing) amongst
others women have trained the women. Some have been with the circus for its six
years and others are novices but all are integrated into this wonderful
community project which is based at the Footscray Community Arts Centre.
KATE HERBERT
No comments:
Post a Comment