Origins
Thu May 26, 19:30 - Sat May 28, 21:00
Schlesinger Theatre, Michaelhouse
ABOUT
Origins is a puppet-dance production performed to live music. Created by Janni Younge, Nkanyiso Kunene and Derek Gripper the performance weaves three mediums to evoke a huma journey through artistic synthesis.
Origins is the story of a Ezileh, a girl finding her way to adulthood. Monwabisi, Ezileh’s only parent is loving and attentive but holds the weight of responsibility in challenging circumstances with difficulty. It is the story of the impact we have on each other as human beings and about the strength of relationship. As Ezileh and her father face the vulnerability of being human we see them make choices that define who they become. Origins uses visual metaphors and emotive movement and music to evoke the energy that pulls together and pushes us apart.
There is no performance medium as powerful as puppetry to bring the nuances of childhood to life on stage. This form allows profound access to the character of Ezileh as she navigates her childhood. Lyrical, visual sequences are combined with crisp, naturalistic puppetry, revealing the psychological world of the child.
We begin our journey with the Ezileh before her birth. The love and commitment that Monwabisi manifests towards his daughter is obscured as he struggles with difficult circumstances. Ezileh is young girl who possesses the powerful gift of imagination which allows her to manifest magic. She starts life adored and placed at the centre of her father’s world. As his shifting attention shakes the security of her being, she increasingly draws on her own inner resources for strength as his apparent emotional distance grows. As she is propelled into life and builds her defences, her fragile magic threatens to vanish. Finally Ezileh is the one who recognizes that if she forgives his human frailty the love that she has been cut off from is still available to her and that she can own the spark of magic that is her birthright.
Origins captures Ezileh’s journey in visual storytelling, mesmerising puppetry and an original, classical African score.