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November 10-14, 2010
A Harbourfront Centre Fresh Ground new works commission
TORONTO, ON – Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2010-11 is proud to
host urbanvessel, the team behind the
critically acclaimed Stitch, and the world
premiere of their genre-crossing, interactive
performance that blows the lid off gender and power dynamics
with cheekiness, raw talent and real fighting. Voice-Box
brings together the sweet science of boxing and the power of the
singing voice to create a knock-out performance, uniting the
talents of choreographer Julia Aplin, writer
Anna Chatterton and composer Juliet
Palmer. The creators step into the ring with the feisty
quartet of Vilma Vitols (opera, cabaret, new
music singer and accomplished boxer), Neema Bickersteth
(actor and opera singer), Savoy Howe (comedian
and boxing coach) and Christine Duncan
(improviser, jazz and gospel singer).
Recipient of a Fresh Ground new works
commissioning prize, Harbourfront Centre’s national
commissioning programme, Voice-Box unveils women’s
power to withstand blows and go beyond expectations. The show
runs November 10 through November 14 at
Harbourfront Centre’s York Quay Centre, in the Brigantine Room.
“Aggression is a gendered issue”, explains Palmer. “If a woman
is aggressive, she’s often sidelined. But positive assertion is
how we can act in the world, how we get things accomplished.”
Reflecting on the history of the sport, Palmer points out, “It’s
taken over one hundred years for women’s boxing to be allowed
back into the Olympics and to be acknowledged as a sport and not
a freak show.” Voice-Box is inspired by this
controversy, but also by the curious twists that come from women
fighting women.
In Voice-Box a fight might take the form of a tango or
a tea party, but no-one is pulling any punches by the end when
Savoy “Kapow” Howe takes on a surprise guest in a real fight.
Unphased by the prospect, Savoy responds, “Bring it on!” and
adds, “anyone who loves boxing or who can’t stand watching
boxing, anyone who picks a fight or who is terrified of being
beaten up … should come this show.” Audience members can wrap up
after the show in the lobby’s mini-gym and also get punching.
The collective invite audience members to feel the
transformative power of being unashamedly aggressive — in a good
way.
The Voice-Box creative team brings together
choreographer Julia Aplin, writer Anna Chatterton, composer
Juliet Palmer, designer Teresa Przybylski and lighting designer
Kimberly Purtell. Aplin lends her striking athleticism and goofy
humour to the show, while writer Chatterton revels in the
vocabulary of boxing and the sounds of the fight. Palmer’s score
for a cappella voices is punctuated by the sounds of bells,
punching bags, squeaking ropes and the hisses and grunts of a
good clean fight.
Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2010-11
Voice-Box
urbanvessel (Canada)
Part of Fresh Ground new works
November 10-13, 8 p.m. & November 14, 2 p.m.
York Quay Centre, Brigantine Room, 235 Queens Quay West
Tickets: $15-$35
Box office: 416 973-4000 or visit:
www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage1011
Harbourfront Centre’s Fresh Ground new works is
a national commissioning progamme that stimulates the creation
of new cross-disciplinary works, providing financial support for
innovation, creation and excellence.
Fresh Ground new works is made possible by the generosity of several major
individual donors and partners who have actively assisted in the
creation of new Canadian artworks: Peter Allen,
William J. S. Boyle, Lionel F. Conacher and Joan Dea, Margaret
and Jim Fleck, John Kazanjian and Susan Soloway, Michael and
Sonja Koerner, Judy and Wil Matthews, George E. Myhal, RBC
Foundation, Sonja Smits and Seaton McLean; and grants from the
Canada Council for the Arts and the J.P. Bickell Foundation. For
more information about Fresh Ground new works please visit
harbourfrontcentre.com
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