Erika Batdorf is in the early stages of creating an installation performance that includes some intimate audience interaction but also allows deep meditative work. She is working with a rabbit mask from Indonesia and a heart puppet (being made by Australian visual artist Suzanne Bartos, who is also making the costume). As a performer that typically works with a lot of audience interaction, she is trying to trust again, work that has a fourth wall. If she doesn’t talk to the audience, is the work still compelling? In this piece, like the mask, (which is beautiful and a “disguise”) she is using artifice as an aid to unveil more deeply; masking to get naked. “How can I reveal MORE of myself in this character? I am seeking both strong form and self-revelation”, Erika mentions.

In this week at Kinitiras, she will be trying to answer some specific time sensitive questions: how much space do I need to determine the size of the enclosed structure? How does sound work in the mask (mumbling, humming…)? What songs will I use for the “singing heart” puppet?

She will also begin to examine some other questions that will take her much longer to answer- what is the Rabbit doing exactly? Why? What specific objects will she be working with? What is the movement vocabulary of the Rabbit? Why does the Rabbit move: is it dancing? Meditating? Performing actions? What does the audience interaction involve exactly? Why do I need to interact with them?

The presentation will include both aspects of the audience interaction which will be not language dependent as well as perform short movement/vocal/performance meditations meant to be observed.

Erika Batdorf has been performing, directing, choreographing and creating award winning and unique performance work since 1983. Her work has appeared in Canada, France, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Korea, Indonesia, Georgia and 14 US states in such places as the Smithsonian Institute, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Harvard University, Movement Theatre Festivals in NY, Philadelphia and New Hampshire, the Boston Center for the Arts and many New York City and Toronto venues including Luminato. She has had 4 Dora nominations and two shows she created/directed made the top 10 theatrical productions of the year in NOW Magazine in Toronto (2006 and 2010). This past year she performed her latest piece The Smell of the Soul, with musical duo Arwinda in Tblisi, Munich and Jakarta, co-directed Sook-Yin Lee and Benjamin Kamino in How Can I Forget in Toronto and performed a site specific work in Finland. She just completed recording an album of original music in Germany with Lisa Schamberger and is developing a new solo installation piece for the Venice Bienalle (May) 2015. She just returned to York University theatre department after a two year sabbatical where she was living in Indonesia and Germany.

When: Saturday 1/11/2014
Hour: doors open at 20.00, there will be a small talk at 21.15
Duration: 90’ (with the small talk/ opinions exchange)
Free entrance
Call for reservations: 210-9248328