I take my mind back
From this sky bright and tree flaggy morning To the Dimly lit stage Of Project Arts Centre’s Space Upstairs Where bold and distinct, three streams of colour pour from above And pool in a messy flag on the floor A braided uniform hangs mid-air from a very thin string; Turns slightly within a thick atmosphere of dust settling, light settling, the balance of things restored in a momentary hush. Silently, a dark corner peels away from the background; becomes a dark door cut from cloth. Figures enter and assemble. There is a man; bright skinned, light-haired, tall, full-bodied, upright; And there is a man’s voice; measured, weighted, delivered into the space. He introduces himself, The words go in a ring around him; ‘Captain, Whistleblower, Military, Violence…’ There come to be four dancers onstage In a cluster, looking like hens towards one another, Sharply thrusting beaks and chests With exquisite physical clarity Time, flesh, gravity, light all deployed in sudden concerts of humanity. The captain is hoisted up, Carried and dressed by the dancers The dancers skillfully execute roles And the man is himself as himself. Human life and human death Bodies as co-operative and intimate as organs in the one corpse Training and nature, How we describe what we do when we suffer, When we survive, And what kinds of witnesses we are becoming. Emma for DRAFF Soldier Still by junk ensemble runs at Project Arts Centre as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival until September 14th and at the Mermaid Arts Centre on September 15th. Image: Luca Truffarelli.
Posted: 12th September 2017 |