PocaHAUNTus
Studio 77, Victoria University, 77 Fairlie Tce, Kelburn, Wellington
12/02/2014 - 15/02/2014
Production Details
—shapeshifting history into Herstory—
How does Pocahontas Haunt Us? With her innocence sullied. With her people, her place, her paradigm plagued, pursued and nearly eradicated by the insidious virus of separatism, competition, deceit and dis-ease.
Melissa Billington, 13th lineal descendant of Pocahontas, arrives on our shores with stories of madness, murder, mayhem, marriage and mothers.
PocaHAUNTus explores how truth is relative by taking on the truths, or stories, of what we often see as opposites–female and male, past and future, indigenous and “civilized”, natural and commercial/industrial, clothed and naked, sane and crazy. The myriad voices of the people in the stories are swiftly ‘moved between’ by one actor, thus making an art-form of the schizophrenic mindset that hears voices and yet is imprisoned (instead of liberated) by them.
With an aim to bridge these seeming opposites, to take the poison of ancestral patterns and transmute it into potion for the present and future generations, Melissa plays with the premise that performance is performative in the western world, yet transformative in most indigenous cultures.
12-15 February, 7.00pm, Matinee 2.00pm Saturday 15th
Studio 77, Victoria University
Bookings: www.fringe.co.nz
Cost: $18/14/12
Theatre ,
Theatrically interesting mix of history lecture, discussion and storytelling
Review by Deborah Eve Rea 13th Feb 2014
The lobby of Studio 77 is adorned with bones. Women in Indigenous American (Native American) dress hand out flowers, soft toy animals, wooden clocks or rolled fabric ‘babies’ to audience members. I am gifted a flower and asked to “keep it safe”. We are grouped into small tribes, matching our given item and led outside to the beat of a drum.
Melissa Billington, the 13th descendant of Pocahontas, greets us and announces the premise for the show: “Why is it crazy to do handstands naked?” and “How does Pocahontas haunt us?”
Billington carries out a ritual to bless the show and to invite ancestors and nature to join us. We are then led inside Studio 77 and cleansed with sage smoke. I hope that post-opening the company is able to find a way to mute the electronic door’s beeping which detracts from Billington’s rite.
PocaHAUNTus is set in traverse with a map taped out (by Carina Gallegos) upon the stage, littered with suitcases and luggage and bookended with two large projector screens.
Billington begins by inviting us into discussion: Who was Pocahontas? What do we know of her?
Billington weaves her own life story with that of Pocahontas (who was described as “savage”) and other descendants, particularly her great-grandmother Phyllis (remembered as “provocative”).
Through the use of poetry, storytelling, physical score, dance, song and re-enactment, Billington searches for meaning and truth in world history, and the effect her whakapapa has had on her own journey. This is an incredibly personal story and at times Billington is left a little too exposed; we feel her nerves.
Billington both teaches and challenges us to look at the history. The sharing of 400+ years is made possible through the use of projected timelines and imagery (designed by Cullum Ross and Nicole Hutchinson) and through use of the mapped floor. Throughout the show Billington carries out delightful transformation of props; suitcases become a stage, a hat becomes a boat which sails around the map.
Occasionally Billington utilises the audience to help demonstrate the true gravity of the moment. There is a danger of alienating or persecuting the audience through the assumption that we do not care or understand about the tragedy that took place. These themes require a very fine line of approach and I’m certain that Billington will find the right balance through the season.
It is important to note that this show contains a strong trigger warning (given what we understand of Pocahontas’ history).
We end by revisiting the questions set to us at the top of the show: “Why is it crazy to do handstands naked?” and “How does Pocahontas haunt us?” Billington completes the show by inviting us to “dance off the trauma” and many audience members join her onstage for joyous boogie.
Part history lecture, part discussion, part storytelling, PocaHAUNTus is a very interesting piece of theatre which will become even stronger as it finds its ground throughout the season.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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