The Birds at the Port of Vancouver (BDA_CA01)
Nelson Gray, Canada
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The Birds at the Port of Vancouver (BDA_CA01) |
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| The production is set on
Vancouver’s waterfront in a disused ship-works. The theme of utopia and
dystopia is highlighted, mirroring the history of colonization on
Canada’s west coast. This site holds great dramatic potential as well as
significance in the interpretation. Originally, the flatlands where
Vancouver is situated were fertile wetlands housing a diverse bird
population. The first habitation was by the Coastal Salish Nation, for
whom the birds were significant spirit guides. The balance of respect
for the natural world toppled as European settlements and trade grew.
The traditional native longhouses gave way to ship-works where vessels
of conquest and commerce were built. Now the ship-works are giving way
to the most recent wave of colonization; as the industrial based economy
is being displaced by one of import-based global trade, there is a shift
of demographic that accompanies it. The port functions similarly to the
“wall” in the play; maintaining control of the territory it borders. |
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Karyn McCallum,
Canada Nelson Gray, Canada |
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