BEARS

Bears is a majestic kind of contemporary odyssey that moves through a varied landscape in order to reveal the complex collision between humans and all that is nature - in particular, grizzly bears. Sheldon Elter as Floyd leads the pack as he delivers an emotionally varied monologue throughout, interwoven with sporadic advice-cum-support from Tracey Neopinak as Mama, a somewhat underwritten role that, although beautifully portrayed, could be strengthened with a bit more dialogue and participation within the action at hand. 

Elter's performance is brilliantly layered as he moves in and out of anguish and delight toward a powerful plea-like moment that ends the play. With the aid of an amazing chorus of eight women dancing/singing through an array of multiplicitous creatures/animals, the journey becomes a form of cathartic performance theatre. Mackenzie brings us, in powerful  often comical terms, the tragic plight of nature as it collides with unnatural 'man' made catastrophe to the forefront. 

Floyd's interaction with the chorus is seamlessly arranged by Monica Dottor's brilliant choreography. The ensemble dance and movement, at times balletic, has a subtle sense of varied bodily colonization as performers integrate superb imitative animal movement into leaps and gestures reminiscent of classical forms. Elter interacts with these tightly choreographed moments and provides a simultaneously dramatic and comic element as he reveals an impressive agility - in the end providing an intense choreographed moment of strong solo dance movement. During one fleeting moment his rolling grace beneath a flock of powerful bodies is dance theatre at its most thrilling.

The overall scenography, made powerful by a backdrop/environmental design by T. Erin Gruber, with Jackson Pollock like projections in varied hue, gives the action a tremendous power as the central character dances and narrates a contemporary story of pipelines, animals, corporate politics, and spiritual rejuvenation.

The setting comes alive through the projected textures, giving the playing space great kinetic versatility. Bears is a beautiful, haunting, at times frolicking romp through the contemporary chaos of land ravaged by dangerous industrial activity. 

In her opening remarks Nina Lee Aquino, artistic director of Factory Theatre, spoke of the ways in which Mackenzie's play speaks of disaster and impending doom, but also offers hope for a future where physical and narrative journeys can be made that will begin to change crucial environmental factors, saving Earth and its accompanying 'nature' from looming destruction...

Bears - a kind of contemporary morality tale that plays itself out with great conviction, power, and magical visual effect...

RUNNING AT FACTORY THEATRE 

UNTIL MARCH 17TH