Tag: Puppetry

[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Shadows are Abound in Vasilisa, A Review

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe.

Vasilisa the BeautifulPresented by
Ouroboros Shadow Pictures

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe. However, this presentation is very dark and it has the feel of belonging in Fantasia more than as a light-hearted animated stand-alone product.

In this stage-version, shadow puppetry, sombre music and dance is used to tell the tale of a young girl tasked by a wicked step-mother to bring back fire from the witch, Baba Yaga. In her spiritual journey through the woods, she learns about courage as she faces the terror borne from the elements. Baba Yaga is the Russian version of the Wild Man of the Woods from Celtic tradition. The only reason to seek this type of “creature” out is to find wisdom.

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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] ] The Search for Paleoncology, A Review

Paleoncology

Presented by Moon Dinosaur Theatre
Directed by Andrew Young

You wouldn’t think that a play about a woman in a dinosaur onesie could make you cry, but give Paleoncology one hour and you may shed a tear too. Written and performed by UVic alumni Kira Hall, she plays Lea, a young woman dealing with the knowledge that her brother Daniel has untreatable cancer by turning to her childhood love of dinosaurs. Lea’s struggle to deal with something emotionally devastating has affected her on all levels, including her job. Her move back to her parents’ home isn’t met with warmth. They expect more out of life from their daughter — even more so now that their eldest child is terminally ill.

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