FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20th, 2002
PuSh International Performance Series
Media Contact
Ellie O'Day
O'Day Productions
604.731.3339
ellie@oday.org
Rumble Productions & Touchstone Theatre present
DREAM MACHINE (Calgary)
One Yellow Rabbit
by Blake Brooker and David Rhymer
staged by Denise Clarke
starring Denise Clarke, Andy Curtis, Onelea Gilbertson, Michael Green, and Brad Payne
music performed by Jonathan Lewis, Richard McDowell and David Rhymer
set design by Chris Cran, lighting design by Cimmeron Meyer, assistant directed by David van Belle
March 26 – April 5 8:00 pm
Vancouver East Cultural Centre, 1895 Venables
Post-performance artist talk Sunday, March 30
Single tickets $24/ $20
PuSh series passes $45
Ticketmaster: 604.280.4444
"Dream Machine is immensely entertaining and the work of real artists … with one helluva band." – The Calgary Straight
A hallucinogenic musical about a group of notoriously wild outsiders from the Beat circle — including William S. Burroughs and collaborator, Brion Gysin, whose spiritual quest changed popular culture forever. Brion Gysin (1914 – 1986) was "the only man that I've ever respected in my life," said William S. Burroughs. "I've liked them, but he's the only man I've ever respected." Burroughs ran into Gysin in Paris in the 50s. Burroughs was struggling with his Naked Lunch manuscript when Gysin came up with the cut-up, an approach that randomly pieces together fragments, adopted by artists in many media.
Living in Paris in the 60s, Gysin created the first dreamachine based on the idea that flashing lights altered brain activity, not just visually but otherwise. Benefits of the dreamachine were relaxation and increased mental abilities. But users reported seeing dazzling colours, mandalas, powerfully dramatic scenes. The pulsing lights produced an Alpha State with a light show.
One Yellow Rabbit's last visit to the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (Doing Leonard Cohen) played to soldout houses. Other OYR shows include Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp, Mata Hari: Tigress at the City Gates and Thunderstruck. Composer David Rhymer is a multi-award winning composer and writer, involved in the creation of a number of Canadian music theatre successes including Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp and Mata Hari: Tigress at the City Gates (both with OYR), Devil Box Cabaret (with Vancouver's Neworld Theatre), and Trouser Parts (with Vancouver’s felix culpa).
Touchstone Master Class with Denise Clarke: April 7 – 10, 2003. An accomplished teacher as well as a distinctive actor, dancer, choreographer and director, Denise's work has influenced a generation of theatre and dance artists. Limited to 15 participants. Call 604.709.9973 for registration and information.
Rumble Productions and Touchstone Theatre gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver – Office of Cultural Affairs, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Antennae du Québec à Vancouver, New South Wales Ministry for the Arts, The Printing House, Tom Lee Music, Georgian Court Hotel, Ramada Inn and Suites, Radio Canada, L’express pacifique and Georgia Straight.
PuSh is part of a Canadian network of presenters. The PuSh series is presented in partnership with High Performance Rodeo (Calgary), Six Stages Festival (Toronto) and Usine C (Montreal).
High Performance Rodeo (Calgary)
http://www.oyr.org/
Six Stages Festival (Toronto)
http://www.sixstages.com/toronto2003/intro.html
Usine C (Montreal)
http://www.rideau-inc.qc.ca/diffuse/fiche/USINEC.htm