Sci-fi theatre tempers fear with fun
Despite serving up a dose of dread, new stage show is hardly a downer, says director
While diversity in casting and audience engagement have been two notable trends in Vancouver theatre in the last year, futuristic scenarios have also been sneaking onto our stages.
Genetic Drift, which looks at the form humanity might take 150 years in the future, follows two other recent productions with a basis in speculative fiction and the future: Redcurrant Collective’s take on The Nether, a play about virtual reality that made its Vancouver premiere at last year’s Fringe Festival and was remounted in January; and The City and the City, a locally created play from Upintheair Theatre. Set in a world where two cities simultaneously occupy the same space, The City and the City was part of this year’s PuSh Festival.
“I think there’s a general sense of dread floating around,” said Richard Wolfe, who is directing Genetic Drift for Boca del Lupo’s Micro Performance series.
“That’s where the zombie thing comes from, and the popularity of superhero movies, where the hero comes to save the day. I do feel people are casting their minds to the future, and trying to figure out what it means and how we might actually operate in it.”
Genetic Drift introduces us to Gary 3, a human/creature hybrid who is the result of future science’s efforts to adapt humanity to the extremely high temperatures brought on by climate change. Gary 3’s story explores the ramifications of climate change and scientific ethics, “specifically the hubris associated with scientists and politicians playing God,” according to the media release.
“Some of the resonances I’m trying to find is the feeling of the late 19th century, when colonial powers were bringing people from Africa to Paris, or from North America to London, to be put on plinths and stared at like curios,” Wolfe said. “It’s that kind of triviality and hubris that may have gotten us into this climate change problem to begin with.”
After coming up with the idea for Genetic Drift while following parameters set out by Boca del Lupo and The Performance Corporation’s Expedition series, the director brought in Amy Lee Lavoie to write the piece. Wolfe, the artistic director of award-winning local company Pi Theatre, had previously worked with the playwright on Last Words, a 201516 event series based on banned, censored and contentious works.
“I really liked her style of writing, her imagination, the energy in her writing, her kind of dark world view,” Wolfe said.
Genetic Drift is sure to be an immersive experience, with a solo performer (Tom Jones, who plays Gary 3) addressing a small audience (the performance space holds a maximum of 25 people) in a setting that makes use of multimedia elements, including music and video.
“The setting is this high-end art gallery,” Wolfe said. “The gallery owner (Alex Forsyth) has this treat for the patrons, to bring this character from the future. He (Gary 3) doesn’t know he’s going to be brought; it’s a holographic presentation. We’re going to be using four projectors working on the walls to create the gallery atmosphere.”
Despite its themes and the anxiety that any kind of speculation about the future might trigger, Genetic Drift won’t be too much of a downer.
“Gary 3 has a personality that’s not dissimilar from late-era (comedians/ social commentators) George Carlin or Barry Crimmins,” Wolfe said.
And, as in any good gallery opening, there will be wine and snacks. “It should be a lot of fun for people,” Wolfe said. “A real trip.”