Wednesday evening was the Quebec premiere of the play ME. Momentum of Isolation from Vancouver company Radical System Art. Combining dance, theatre, martial arts and multimedia, choreographer Shay Kuebler unveils a dystopian universe where satire, comedy and tragedy intertwine to denounce the omnipresence, sometimes inspiring, sometimes harmful, of our various technologies. .
A man works in his office. A priori, a banality. Finally, little by little, we understand how much loneliness is his burden, how much the lack of humanity gnaws at him. Alone with his little plant as his only friend in life, he scans his papers mechanically, watching the time go by, without thinking about it for too long. Then comes the time of entertainment, with, as a bonus, the latest technology that makes you go from laughter to tears in no time, playing, jumping around, laughing out loud and exhausting your body. A “good” moment to forget a little about the redundant and mortal life.
Parallel to this single man, we see a group evolving. Organicity of the bodies, contacts and fluidity are then at the rendezvous. Hearts and senses warm up, are good to see until they too fall into the technological “trap”. Having become robots, they experience their emotions through screens, voluntarily disconnecting from the human world. Moments sometimes serene, sometimes mind-numbing.
When things go wrong, everything breaks, the balance is lost. However, it is also synonymous with reunion with oneself and with others. Meetings that are sometimes easier through a connected object than in reality. Looking for love, having fun, everything is then possible by being connected, but what about once face to face? Hidden behind your avatar, it is then easier to be whoever you want.
Return to solitude then, where the animation of an everyday object brings a moment of smiles, of conviviality. The satire is strong there, the clownish aspect of certain scenes makes it possible to laugh while being confronted with this lack of human life. Ridicule sometimes brings a smile to the lips, but also raises discomfort and issues. Here, of society. How has technology invaded our lives? And what is the impact? ME. Momentum of Isolation is theatrically anchored in the staging of dating sites, reality TV, stardom, entertainment, video games or even social networks. As well as the emotional dependence that results from it.
Always in fluidity, Shay Kubler delights our eyes with organic movements, beautiful lifts, precise ground work and very elaborate gestures. Through a rich scenic composition where projectors, accessories, lights and sounds act as a narrative, the bodies further reinforce the elaboration of a current score, that of all of us.
Life or TV?
Through several scenes that follow one another, we discover the solitary life and its impacts, but also those in a group of individuals. Because, indeed, we are all connected and we are all more or less subject to the negative effects of the omnipresence of these smoke screens. In addition to relying on a clear narrative framework, the choreographer can count on the correct interpretation of the dancers who exacerbate the emotions experienced, to the point of becoming caricatural. And that’s the goal. Their bodies, but especially their faces sweat the senses that are overexcited by so many virtual stimuli. We enter into their feelings, we believe in them. We laugh, but we quickly understand the ridiculousness of the situation. How a television can reveal the intimacy of a human being, can make him become a star or destroy him. Why is the sexualization of bodies still omnipresent today? To what extent is the lack of compassion one of the characteristics of our connected worlds? And it’s all done consciously, by willing humans.
Until the end of the play, which lasts 80 minutes, we follow the lives of these crazy characters, but ultimately, and unfortunately, very realistic in their daily journey between a real or connected world. And finally… what do we choose? Life or TV?