« Red Dress Productions is pleased to announce DRIFT SEEDS
a poetic parody for people living in absurd times
On June 9th, 10th & 11th, a multi-disciplinary, multi-sensory, 3-day, outdoor theatre production will descend on Winchester Park. Over 100 musicians, dancers, actors, singers, puppeteers, visual artists and production volunteers from diverse communities including hearing artists, Deaf artists, blind and sighted artists, wheelchair users, and LGBTQ & 2 spirited artists, have infused this creative process to shape the aesthetic of this extra-live, ambitious, community creation.
In Drift Seeds, young birds are born and as they begin to stretch their wings a menacing “Bird Watcher” descends upon their home and cages them. At the same time, the self-appointed leader of the land “Rock Robin” has been brought down and someone must take responsibility. “Sparrow” confesses, and is apprehended but the suggestion of a cover up is raised. A group of activists parody the official state mourning in a mock funeral procession while trying to find answers to what has really happened. Their protest grows, the “truth” is revealed, and all the birds are released. Just as the seasons cycle, so turns the wheel of life, and once the birds fly away to freedom, the story begins again with the rebirth of baby birds. The performance starts anew and loops until the end of the evening.
This community performance developed out of three-years of artistic exploration with communities in Toronto’s Winchester Park and St James Town. Drift Seeds is the sum of many parts: a fictional collage created out of fragments harvested through artistic exploration that revealed themes of loss and discovery, migrations and transformation, safety and danger, inclusion and isolation, hope and resistance.
As part of the performance, the Seed Share Curio, features interactive installations that present works created from the time when Drift Seeds was just a determined seed, a glimmering possibility.
We welcome audiences of all ages and all abilities. Elements of visual description and American Sign Language feature throughout the performance, and the space is accessible to wheelchair and mobility device users. As well as English, spoken languages include pieces in Urdu, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian.
Dress Rehearsals
Wednesday June 7th & Thursday June 8th 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Performance Dates
Friday June 9th, 7:00pm to 9:00pm in Winchester Park
Saturday June 10th, 7:00pm to 9:00pm in Winchester Park
Sunday June 11th, 1:00pm to 3:00pm in Winchester Park »
-submitted by Red Dress Productions
Read Red Dress Productions’ profile in ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map