Art imitates life in poignant puppet play “The Bench”

Dawn co-owner of Long Grass Studio and Workshop in Calgary is looking forward to bringing the show here.

“The show itself is about a bench in a community,” she said. “I worked almost 40 years as a registered nurse before this. While I was working, another nurse came to work and said they were moving a bench. A condo unit was voting on it because they didn’t like the homeless people sleeping on it. That gave me the idea: ‘Well, that doesn’t help the homeless. It takes away from the community.’ That was the little spark that started the idea for ‘The Bench.’”

While the real-life event that inspired the show happened in B.C., Dawn said many communities also faced similar situations, and the ethical questions related to the matter. When she heard the Battlefords also experienced discussions on the topic of public benches she was glad to be able to bring the show here as well.

“The story is just about the bench itself – who has the right to sit on it and who has the right to remove it, and who uses it, and how does it contribute to the community itself,” she said. “It’s really that simple. Who is worthy enough to sit on it, and who make the decisions.”

“It’s really losing community when you lose the bench,” Dawn said. “It’s taking away that feeling of rest and of friendship, and connecting. So that’s what a bench does.”

The show has some humourous interactions between characters as well as some “almost tearful moments.”

“That’s what’s really cool about ‘The Bench,’” Dawn said. “There is no language; it’s all done through action, movement and music. The story is done that way. A lot of people are surprised to see how that can bring on so much emotion.”

The production has played to sold out shows in several major cities across Canada.

It is described as best suitable for ages 12 and up.

“It is very family-friendly but it does appeal to adults; it’s an adult story,” Dawn said. “It’s a story that adults want to hear.”

The evening line-up also includes two more shows – a short play by Saskatchewan puppeteer Rowan Pantel called “Fridge Magnets and Suit Cases,” and a short shadow-play by Battlefords artist Sherron Burns called “The Moon She Glows.”

Burns describes her show as an “abstract shadow-puppet piece” that looks at various mythologies and ideas related to the moon.

Following all three performances there will be time for audience questions during the “’Artists Talk Back” session and an informative slide presentation.

“People are very fascinated about what it takes to put on a puppet show,” Dawn said, adding she hopes the talk will give people a behind-the-scenes look of the art form.

There will also be an opportunity for people to make a monetary donation to the Lighthouse if they wish at the end of the evening.

Tickets for the event are available through Long Grass Studio and Workshop Facebook Page.

–

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Art imitates life in poignant puppet play “The Bench”

What's Trending