Zeus Opera Dance Theatre at Artword Theatre

Back To Artword Productions 2002-2003

Artword Alternative
November 12 to17, 2002
Zeus Opera Dance Company
A Pair of Myths:
Hero's Hood and Moira Friday
Directed and Choreographed by: Janet Atkinson

Produced by: Zeus Opera Dance Company and Artword Theatre
Dancers: Janet Atkinson, Tia Coules, Darcy McMurray, Tim Spronk
Writer: Pamela Paul
Actors: Brendan Murray, Jillian Hart
Artists: Naomi Reid, Emelie Chhangur
Production Designer: Judith Sandiford

Tuesday Nov 12 to Saturday at 8 pm: $18, sen/std/eq/CADA $14
Sun mat Nov 17at 2:30 pm: pwyc
Artword Alternative, 75 Portland St, Toronto (one block east of Bathurst, south of King)
Artword Info: 416-408-ARTD (2783) Website: www.artword.net
Reservations: 416-654-1843
Zeus Opera website: www.zodcdance.com

Zeus Opera Dance Company and Artword Theatre present an evening of dance theatre: A Pair of Myths, by choreographer Janet Atkinson, at the Artword Alternative Theatre November 12 to 17, 2002. The world première of Moira Friday, a new work based on Celtic myths, is presented, as well as a remounting of Hero’s Hood.
Both works use text written by Pamela Paul performed by two actors, and artworks by two visual artists. Dancers Tia Coules, Darcy McMurray and Tim Spronk perform in both works.
Hero’s Hood: Enter Nadia (Jillian Hart), who through words, reveals her personal tales of contemporary drama. But what of these provocative mythological figures – Cupid, Psyche and Venus – whose own story foretells Nadia’s (the human) deathly descent and the "other side"? Where words leave off, dance universalizes this intensely personal story, vaulting us back through our imaginative past, planting us in our graphic present. This Chorus of Characters, the Lead, the Words, the Music, the Storyboard, the Dancers, the Audience: this is Hero’s Hood. Originally presented in 2000 at Propeller Gallery, Hero’s Hood is remounted with a "storyboard" of new large-scale drawings by artist Naomi Reid.
Moira Friday: We meet Frank (Brendan Murray), a warrior and loyal friend. Frozen in time and the dead of winter we journey through nature and Frank’s world. We are suspended in disbelief at the horror of this legendary tale as inspired choreographies illustrate Celtic times, lifestyles and cultural practices. In Moira Friday, an installation by artist Emelie Chhangur of found objects encased in plastic provide the weird and other-worldly environment for the stage journey.
The purpose of the Zeus Opera Dance Company is to exhibit and experience dance as the primary form of expression in the telling of mythical and modern-day stories. These stories are told through acting, singing and visual art, becoming their own opus.
On Hero’s Hood: "Janet Atkinson brings her audience up close and personal... (her) vocabulary is big, bold and dramatic" Paula Citron, Globe and Mail. "A mesmerizing dance driven theatre piece" Ted Fox, CIUT Evi-Dance.
On Episode: "The work is a fluid architecture. Images are built from the archetypal and emblematic, but are always entry points to a new experience. Viscerally captivating." Andrew Shaver, CIUT Visual Voice
Media contact: Max Moore, Arts Agency 416-205-1151

Janet Atkinson, Artistic Director of Zeus Opera Dance Company, choreographer: The Zeus Opera Dance Company was formed in July 2000 after the premiere of Hero’s Hood at the Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts. Along with theatre works Zeus Opera has created the Episode and Portable Dance Series, a continuum of dances for urban culture, which have been performed at the North by Northeast Music Festival and in a boxing ring at Artword Theatre. Janet is performing at Moving Pictures: Dance on Film and Video Festival in October. She choreographed Artword’s production of Toronto the Good this year and is teaching a workshop "Working Together on Stage" with director Ronald Weihs at Artword this fall.
Pamela Paul, playwright: Capitalizing on a kinship of ideas and conducting many long distance discussions on ‘art’, Pamela returns to Zeus Opera with Moira Friday after writing Hero’s Hood. From Vancouver, Pamela has completed her first novel and is now focussing on writing for theatre and film. She studied acting at the William B. Davis Centre for Actors Study, recently completed a TV pilot and is presently developing a screen play.
Tia Coules, dancer: Tia is Assistant Artistic Director of the Zeus Opera Dance Company. She has worked with choreographers Timothy Spain, Bill James, Troy Lidell and Holly Small. Tia has appeared in short films, music videos, television and acted in a comedy troupe.
Darcy McMurray, dancer: Darcy appeared in Zeus Opera Dance Company’s gala at Artword Theatre. She has worked with Arts Umbrella choreographers Joe Laughlin, Grant Strate and Judith Marcuse.
Tim Spronk, dancer: Tim appeared in Zeus Opera Dance Company's gala at Artword Theatre. He has performed with many Toronto dance companies including the Newton Moraes Dance Company and is a founding member of The Chimera Project.
Jillian Hart, actor: Jillian played the role of Nadia in the première of Hero’s Hood. She has also performed with Theatre Beyond Words, Shakespeare in the Rough and in a one woman show, Madame Curie at the Ontario Science Centre. She appears in film, television, commercials and is a member of the folk trio Daughters of the Rock.
Brendan Murray, actor: Most recently, Brendan appeared as Arcite in The Two Noble Kinsmen, as well as having roles in Henry VI: Revenge in France, and Henry VI: Revolt in England (Stratford Festival). Upcoming, Brendan will play the role of Hal in Proof at the Grand Theatre – London.
Naomi Reid, visual artist and illustrator: A stunning and cheeky ‘photo romance’ exhibit of Naomi Reid’s at Propeller was Janet Atkinson’s inspiration for the storytelling nucleus of Hero’s Hood. A booklet of drawings for the première of Hero’s Hood have been transformed into a giant storyboard installation for the Artword remount. Naomi shows at Propeller and Morba galleries, both on Queen West, and has been published in A Toronto Comic jam, Explicit and Reactor Girl and True Love and The Man in the Mirror.
Emelie Chhangur, visual artist: Emelie Chhangur recently presented an installation of her ongoing Permanent Growth Project at Propeller Gallery. This work is a collaboration between Emelie and the numerous artists who contributed collections of found objects that Emelie sewed into clear soft plastic hangings. Some of these hangings form the environment for Zeus Opera’s dance piece Moira Friday. Emelie is currently the Curatorial Intern at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.
Judith Sandiford, designer: In dance, Judith Sandiford has designed Meiko Ando’s Onibaba, and Michael DuMaresq’s ...and in this room, and Dancing Barefoot with Patti. In theatre, her most recent design was Ronald Weihs’ musical Toronto the Good at Artword Theatre. Upcoming projects include a new work in progress in collaboration with Meiko Ando.

		Artword Alternative November 12 to17, 2002 Zeus Opera Dance Company A Pair of Myths: Hero's Hood and Moira Friday Directed and Choreographed by: Janet Atkinson

Produced by: Zeus Opera Dance Company and Artword Theatre Dancers: Janet Atkinson, Tia Coules, Darcy McMurray, Tim Spronk Writer: Pamela Paul Actors: Brendan Murray, Jillian Hart Artists: Naomi Reid, Emelie Chhangur Production Designer: Judith Sandiford
	Tuesday Nov 12 to Saturday at 8 pm: $18, sen/std/eq/CADA $14 Sun mat Nov 17at 2:30 pm: pwyc Artword Alternative, 75 Portland St, Toronto (one block east of Bathurst, south of King) Artword Info: 416-408-ARTD (2783) Website: www.artword.net Reservations: 416-654-1843 Zeus Opera website: www.zodcdance.com
	Zeus Opera Dance Company and Artword Theatre present an evening of dance theatre: A Pair of Myths, by choreographer Janet Atkinson, at the Artword Alternative Theatre November 12 to 17, 2002. The world première of Moira Friday, a new work based on Celtic myths, is presented, as well as a remounting of Hero’s Hood. Both works use text written by Pamela Paul performed by two actors, and artworks by two visual artists. Dancers Tia Coules, Darcy McMurray and Tim Spronk perform in both works. *Hero’s Hood:* Enter Nadia (Jillian Hart), who through words, reveals her personal tales of contemporary drama. But what of these provocative mythological figures – Cupid, Psyche and Venus – whose own story foretells Nadia’s (the human) deathly descent and the "other side"? Where words leave off, dance universalizes this intensely personal story, vaulting us back through our imaginative past, planting us in our graphic present. This Chorus of Characters, the Lead, the Words, the Music, the Storyboard, the Dancers, the Audience: this is Hero’s Hood. Originally presented in 2000 at Propeller Gallery, Hero’s Hood is remounted with a "storyboard" of new large-scale drawings by artist Naomi Reid. *Moira Friday:* We meet Frank (Brendan Murray), a warrior and loyal friend. Frozen in time and the dead of winter we journey through nature and Frank’s world. We are suspended in disbelief at the horror of this legendary tale as inspired choreographies illustrate Celtic times, lifestyles and cultural practices. In Moira Friday, an installation by artist Emelie Chhangur of found objects encased in plastic provide the weird and other-worldly environment for the stage journey. The purpose of the Zeus Opera Dance Company is to exhibit and experience dance as the primary form of expression in the telling of mythical and modern-day stories. These stories are told through acting, singing and visual art, becoming their own opus. On Hero’s Hood: "Janet Atkinson brings her audience up close and personal... (her) vocabulary is big, bold and dramatic" Paula Citron, Globe and Mail. "A mesmerizing dance driven theatre piece" Ted Fox, CIUT Evi-Dance. On Episode: "The work is a fluid architecture. Images are built from the archetypal and emblematic, but are always entry points to a new experience. Viscerally captivating." Andrew Shaver, CIUT Visual Voice Media contact: Max Moore, Arts Agency 416-205-1151
Janet Atkinson, Artistic Director of Zeus Opera Dance Company, choreographer: The Zeus Opera Dance Company was formed in July 2000 after the premiere of Hero’s Hood at the Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts. Along with theatre works Zeus Opera has created the Episode and Portable Dance Series, a continuum of dances for urban culture, which have been performed at the North by Northeast Music Festival and in a boxing ring at Artword Theatre. Janet is performing at Moving Pictures: Dance on Film and Video Festival in October. She choreographed Artword’s production of Toronto the Good this year and is teaching a workshop "Working Together on Stage" with director Ronald Weihs at Artword this fall. Pamela Paul, playwright: Capitalizing on a kinship of ideas and conducting many long distance discussions on ‘art’, Pamela returns to Zeus Opera with Moira Friday after writing Hero’s Hood. From Vancouver, Pamela has completed her first novel and is now focussing on writing for theatre and film. She studied acting at the William B. Davis Centre for Actors Study, recently completed a TV pilot and is presently developing a screen play. Tia Coules, dancer: Tia is Assistant Artistic Director of the Zeus Opera Dance Company. She has worked with choreographers Timothy Spain, Bill James, Troy Lidell and Holly Small. Tia has appeared in short films, music videos, television and acted in a comedy troupe. Darcy McMurray, dancer: Darcy appeared in Zeus Opera Dance Company’s gala at Artword Theatre. She has worked with Arts Umbrella choreographers Joe Laughlin, Grant Strate and Judith Marcuse. Tim Spronk, dancer: Tim appeared in Zeus Opera Dance Company's gala at Artword Theatre. He has performed with many Toronto dance companies including the Newton Moraes Dance Company and is a founding member of The Chimera Project. Jillian Hart, actor: Jillian played the role of Nadia in the première of Hero’s Hood. She has also performed with Theatre Beyond Words, Shakespeare in the Rough and in a one woman show, Madame Curie at the Ontario Science Centre. She appears in film, television, commercials and is a member of the folk trio Daughters of the Rock. Brendan Murray, actor: Most recently, Brendan appeared as Arcite in The Two Noble Kinsmen, as well as having roles in Henry VI: Revenge in France, and Henry VI: Revolt in England (Stratford Festival). Upcoming, Brendan will play the role of Hal in Proof at the Grand Theatre – London. Naomi Reid, visual artist and illustrator: A stunning and cheeky ‘photo romance’ exhibit of Naomi Reid’s at Propeller was Janet Atkinson’s inspiration for the storytelling nucleus of Hero’s Hood. A booklet of drawings for the première of Hero’s Hood have been transformed into a giant storyboard installation for the Artword remount. Naomi shows at Propeller and Morba galleries, both on Queen West, and has been published in A Toronto Comic jam, Explicit and Reactor Girl and True Love and The Man in the Mirror. Emelie Chhangur, visual artist: Emelie Chhangur recently presented an installation of her ongoing Permanent Growth Project at Propeller Gallery. This work is a collaboration between Emelie and the numerous artists who contributed collections of found objects that Emelie sewed into clear soft plastic hangings. Some of these hangings form the environment for Zeus Opera’s dance piece Moira Friday. Emelie is currently the Curatorial Intern at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. Judith Sandiford, designer: In dance, Judith Sandiford has designed Meiko Ando’s Onibaba, and Michael DuMaresq’s ...and in this room, and Dancing Barefoot with Patti. In theatre, her most recent design was Ronald Weihs’ musical Toronto the Good at Artword Theatre. Upcoming projects include a new work in progress in collaboration with Meiko Ando.