For the past 16 months, artists have been forced to think outside the box. The brilliant minds at SummerWorks have always been doing that, pushing the boundaries of what we think of as art and performance. This summer is no exception. The festival’s slate of free programming runs throughout August. Here are five imaginative acts you won’t want to miss.
Syrus Marcus Ware, co-creator, burn, burned
Exactly two years ago to coincide with SummerWorks, Ware wrote one of the most-read and -discussed NOW cover stories of the year. The subject was activist burnout, something he knew about intimately, having been involved for years in activist causes like Black Lives Matter, trans rights and disability rights. In the continuously conceived project burn, burned, Ware, co-creator Rodney Diverlus and various collaborators examine how to work and live together… after the revolution is over.
Me Time, creator, Portal: The R.A.V.E. Institute
When Outside the March announced its innovative 2020-2021 season last fall, some of the most exciting events were the four national commissions in its Forward March series. All four are part of this year’s SummerWorks festival as pop-up experiences. The buzziest one so far is Portal: The R.A.V.E. Institute, by DJ Me Time. The sold-out (there’s a waiting list) one-on-one experience purportedly uses technology and dance to show audience members who they’re meant to be in a new world. Me Time, a.k.a. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, has had many identities herself, including playing a memorable recurring role in Degrassi: The Next Generation. But it’s as a dance-music culture innovator that makes her so exciting.
Philip Nozuka, creator/performer, Proof Of Existence
Nokuza has an exciting stage presence, having given powerful performances in shows like Durango, Declarations and The Tall Building (SummerWorks 2015). Now he’s branching out as part of the SummerWorks Lab series, a program devoted to the experimentation process. In his multimedia solo show Proof Of Existence, Nozuka uses his original music and comments to engage with YouTube videos. It’s sure to provide more proof of his imaginative range.
Jivesh Parasram, co-creator, Swim
Talk about prescient. Parasram and Tom Arthur Davis are the co-founders of a theatre company called Pandemic Theatre. They’ve been ahead of the curve in their shows, too, like Parasram’s controversial solo piece Take D Milk, Nah?, which anticipated the current heated discussion around racism and cultural representation in the arts. Now, in Swim, the two examine how migration affects the self. The piece was conceived as a performance piece featuring a live endurance swimming component – perfect for the Olympics! Knowing the savvy Parasram, the current iteration as a walking meditation/audio play should make just as big a splash.
Erin Ball and Vanessa Furlong, creators, LEGacy Circus
The pandemic has forced many artists to create and perform in ways they’d never imagined before. But how do aerial artists – whose art consists of navigating ropes and other apparatus together, in person – pivot? Count on LEGacy Circus‘s Ball and Furlong, who use leg attachments, mobility aids and traditional and non-traditional circus apparatuses, to find a way to keep creating… and inspiring others.
