With the May long weekend quickly upon us, it’s finally becoming summer! If you want to try something new with the family this year, take a day trip to visit Merridale Estate Cidery’s Spring Launch on May 19th. It’s a family oriented event with food, cidery tours with free cider samples, interactive games for the kids, music, mini-spa treatments and more. If you want to eat in their outdoor kitchen, reservations are recommended, but there are lots of other activities to do even so.

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-Heather Boulding
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Lisa B at Ocean Island and Bob Dylan Tribute Show at The Fort Cafe

I tend to spend more time seeking out diamonds in the rough than gushing over commercially-spoon-fed Top 40 acts…One such diamond to check out this Friday evening at Ocean Island Cafe Lounge (791 Pandora) is the mysteriously-named Lisa B, with Mick Gorman – 9pm start, no cover charge – see her while she’s still free! Then Saturday, how can you go wrong with the Bob Dylan Tribute Show at The Fort Cafe? I’ll leave you this week with a bit of Dylan trivia – What is Bob Dylan’s real name? No googling! You have one lifeline available to you: Phone A Friend.

- James Kasper
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Hi everyone!

I’m writing this from an office nook in Edmonton, Alberta, where I will remain for the foreseeable future. Sorry for not mentioning this sooner, but it’s been an action-packed move. My cat used the litterbox at 120km/h. Successfully. (Atta girl)

So, if this still counts as a staff pick, my advice this week is to hop on a plane to warm and scenic Edmonton, walk or bike our magnificent river valley trails, and cool off with pints at Filthy McNasty’s on Whyte Avenue. Victoria’s scene does many things well, but giving awesome names to pubs is not one of them. I drank at Filthy’s as a sarcastic teenager and am nostalgiaing hard at the chance to do so once again.

- Chris Felling
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I’m sure with our lovely little heat wave, people will be getting off to the beach, camping, hiking and generally enjoying the outdoors. As I am less outdoorsy than most, I prefer to spend hot days at a restaurant or pub with a substantial patio (Canoe Brewpub‘s is likely the largest, Bon Rouge‘s may be the prettiest). My other recommended activity is walking through town and occasionally escaping into the indoors. This is a great time of year to explore our local galleries. Both Oak Bay and downtown have nice concentrations of galleries within walking distance – stop by one and you can usually find a map to all the others. In particular, Winchester galleries has some interesting stuff right now (and they are in Oak Bay and downtown).

- Erin Anderson
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It’s comic book geek week with a tasty double-bill for anyone who didn’t get their fill at Free Comic Book Day a couple of weeks ago. First up is the local debut of Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, the indie doc that offers an insider’s look at the annual comic book mecca that is Comic-Con San Diego. Director Morgan Spurlock’s Episode IV (which, of course, is a Star Wars reference and not the fourth movie) captures one-on-one interviews with Comic-Con veterans who have turned their passions into professions, including the likes of Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Matt Groening and Seth Rogen. Plus, you get a ringside view of the 140,000 proudly geeky folks who dress up in their fandom finest to grok others of their kind. Running May 17-19 at the Vic Theatre on Douglas, tickets $10 at the door (cash only).

And on May 19, we also get Batman’s Great Mystery, a live radio play performed and recorded in front of an audience. This 1948 radio play gets a live revival courtesy of locals This Is Twisted Theatre and features the voice talents of Ian Case (the narrator), Rod Peter Jr. (as Superman), Missie Peters (as Robin), Chris Cooley and a “mystery guest” as Batman, plus live sound effects by Theodore Sherman. (Note: This is part one of this production, which will be split into two two-hour episodes. Holy cliffhangers!) If you’ve never seen a live radio play performed, they’re always great fun and this one promises to be a sweet treat done by performers with a real, uh, passion for the source material. 8pm Saturday at Intrepid Theatre Studio, 1609 Blanshard. $10-$12.

- John Threlfall
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I’m a big supporter of youth and music. Here’s a great event not to be missed! The Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra is here next Wednesday. “The TSYO is a high-level orchestral training programme for talented musicians aged 22 and under. Alumni are found in virtually every major performing organization in Canada, and many have embarked on successful solo, chamber, and orchestral careers worldwide. With a commitment to performance excellence, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra is regarded as one of Canada’s leading training orchestras, and ranks as one of the top youth orchestras in North America.”

- Phil Pierce
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For Victoria Day, I suggest going to The Marina in Oak Bay, sitting on one of the benches of the Turkey Head walk, looking out into the water, and talking about your dreams. Then waking up Monday morning and making them happen. It worked for me.
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- Leanne Allen
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Read more about the CVV team HERE!

Nicola Cavendish as Shirley Valentine. Photo: Barbara Zimonick

Shirley Valentine – Abroad in a Sea of Laughs

In the world of A-list comedic monologues, it’s hard to beat perennial favourite Shirley Valentine—and, in Canada at least, it’s hard to beat Nicola Cavendish doing Shirley Valentine . . . even after more than 600 performances in the title role. Yet the central question at the heart of Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s current production of Shirley Valentine isn’t, “Is there anyone left out there who hasn’t seen Shirley Valentine yet?” but, “Are you ready to see Shirley Valentine again?”

For the packed house at the Mac on preview night, there was no question that the answer to that question was a resounding “Yes!” Judging from the gales of laughter alone, there’s still a lot of life in both this 26-year-old script and Cavendish’s rendition of the endearing, slightly loopy British housewife who throws off her homemaker shackles and flies to Greece  in search of the feisty woman she was, and lost, long ago.

If you’ve only seen the 1989 film version starring Pauline Collins (who won a Tony for the role on stage), Willy Russell’s delightful ode to female independence deserves to be seen on the stage; while the film is fine, and funny, it was adapted to be played by a full cast. To get the full impact of Russell’s charming challenge to everyday drudgery, it must be seen as the monologue it was written to be—only then does the real comedy shine through, as the actor brings not only Shirley but the rest of the characters (her family, her friends, her fellow travellers) to life.     

Despite being 22 years since she first played Valentine, there’s absolutely nothing auto-pilot about Cavendish’s performance here. Directed once again by former Belfry artistic director Roy Surette (who also originated the show with her way back in 1990),  Cavendish hits all the right notes as we watch Shirley’s emergence from her cocooned life of domestic drudgery to her renewed sense of independence, all thanks to a trip to Greece, a plate of chips and egg shoved in anger, and the chance to step through the looking glass into the life she might be living.

But while the script’s plentiful laughs get most of the audience’s attention, more compelling are Cavendish’s quiet moments, where she still has the power to make us feel what Shirley feels. A weaker director, a less accomplished actor, would just go for the guffaws, but it’s in these near-silent moments that the character shows her true face—and it’s not the one mugging for the audience (although she does that very well). A gifted physical performer, it’s a treat to watch Cavendish bring the other characters to life with a gesture, a look, a flip of the hair; it’s also hard not to laugh uproariously when she simulates a hard-knocking headboard with a chopping block.

Set designer Anne-Seguin Poirier’s claustrophobic first-act kitchen segues beautifully into the spacious Greek beach for Act Two, allowing the big back wall of the Mac to provide the ideal canvas sky for lighting designer Harry Frehner’s long, slow, second-act sunset—and both provide the perfect visual metaphor for Shirley’s escape from her “little life” as she undergoes her transformation. This is, in many ways, a simple production, but much like Educating Rita—playwright Willy Russell’s other strong female story—Shirley Valentine doesn’t need much more than a good actor and a good director to make it work.

Indeed, Shirley Valentine is the ideal kick-off to Blue Bridge’s fourth season—not only does it fit their “modern classics” mandate, but it also serves as a tasty appetizer to the heartier meal yet to come this summer: Shaw’s Arms and the Man, Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men, and the musical mayhem that is Little Shop of Horrors. For the past three seasons, Blue Bridge has built a strong reputation by delivering outstanding versions of theatrical classics; if Shirley Valentine is any indication, season four will be much the same. 

—John Threlfall

Click HERE for ticket info.

PHOTOS (by Heather Boulding) - click any image then click NEXT or hit “n” to cycle through them…

Sustainability — a buzzword that simultaneously creates excitement over decreasing our environmental footprint, confusion over the multitude of choices, worry over making the right, healthy choices, and anxiety about mounting food costs. There is also social pressure from those who tout how “green” they are and smugly point out their angelic environmental halo, making the rest of us shrink from asking questions so as not to appear out of the loop. But we don’t need to run away from the nearest market in despair. Small steps are key to learning how to eat sustainably.

This series of articles will focus on food sustainability in Victoria. We will be exploring what sustainable and ethical foods are all about: where to buy them, where to save and where to splurge on sustainable options, and which restaurants are using foods from ethical sources.

What is sustainability? A dictionary definition would say that it is the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.  In other words, it is the ability to maintain our world for future generations. The concept of sustainability has been considered for centuries, but it wasn’t until the 20^th century that sustainability entered mainstream political and social agendas. It has impact in every industry from mining and forestry to fishing and farming. Sustainability in the food industry is perhaps one of the most confusing of all. Local vs. organic? Fair trade vs. direct trade? Free run vs. free range? Cost vs. affordability? The list goes on.

Luckily, here in Victoria, we have a wonderful network of options, from farmers markets to local restaurants, that all offer an increasing ability to access local, sustainable food. And in my search for answers to my sustainability questions I’ve found Victoria’s foodies and farmers to be increasingly open and helpful.

So what’s the first step in buying sustainable and ethical food? When I first started I quickly realized that my food budget couldn’t support eating completely organic or local. It’s always sticker shock to realize what food actually costs without the use of synthetic fertilizers and intensive farming techniques. But with small steps, it’s easy to make a habit about supporting local farmers.

Step 1: Look at your weekly food budget and allocate a certain percentage towards buying something local each week. I started with just 10% and gradually increased it. Going to farmer’s markets are fun and a great outing for the family, but many grocery stores in Victoria now have local and organic sections and always label when something is local.

Step 2: Buy what you love. Avoid buying food you don’t normally eat, because the odds are that it will go unused in the fridge. I always buy foods I love…strawberries, carrots, and tomatoes. Foods taste infinitely better and have many more nutrients when they are fresh from the farm and not transported for days or weeks via ship or truck. Soon you’ll be hooked on the taste.

Step 3: For meat eaters, decrease the amount of meat, but increase quality of meat. I have a hard time being a vegetarian, but dislike the idea of farm animals being abused. To afford eating ethical meat at the same weekly cost, I decreased the amount of meat I ate, but bought free-range non-medicated or organic meat and eggs instead. Or in the case of seafood – sustainably harvested. The flavour difference quickly made up for any cost misgivings. The side benefit is learning how to make great vegetarian recipes and eating a lot more vegetables, legumes, and fruit.

Step 4: Slowly inch up the percentage of what you buy locally to a manageable cost level. Decide which foods you feel are important to buy local or organic and which things aren’t as important to you. I still buy food that is generically grown, but by allocating just a little bit towards local, sustainable options it starts to create a habit. The best part is that it doesn’t break the bank.

Step 5: Enjoy food and ask questions. This may seem a trivial and cliché thing to write, but it’s true nonetheless. Don’t be worried about asking questions. We all have to start somewhere. I’ve found that Victoria’s farmers are usually more than willing to discuss their products and some may even have some recipe tips.

Local Farmer’s Markets in Victoria 

It seems that every year new local markets pop up in each Victoria municipality. While this is not an exhaustive list of all the markets in Victoria, these are the largest and ones that are centered on local produce and food.

Downtown Farmer’s Market (@Market Square, inner courtyard)

http://victoriapublicmarket.com/

Open: Every Wednesday 12-5pm April – October

• Specifically features local farmers, food, with some music thrown in.

James Bay Market (@corner of Menzies St. and Superior St.)

http://jamesbaymarket.com/

Open: Every Saturday 9am-3pm beginning in May

• Features local artisans, music, local jams, and in season fruits/veggies

 
Oaklands Sunset Series Community Market (2827 Belmont Ave)

http://www.oaklandscommunitycentre.com/market

Open: July 4 & 18, Aug 1 & 15 6pm-9pm

• Features local artisans, music, local jams, and in season fruits/veggies

Moss St. Market (@corner of Moss St. and Fairfield Rd)

http://www.mossstreetmarket.com/

Open: Every Saturday 10am-2pm (May-October)

• Features local artisans, music, local jams, and in season fruits/veggies

Sidney Summer Street Market (Beacon Ave, main street of Sidney)

http://www.sidneybusiness.com/index.php?page=summer-market

Open: Every Thursday 5:30pm-8:30pm (June 7-August 30)

• One of the largest markets with over 150 vendors features local produce and farms, but also an array of artisans, food vendors, and entertainment

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- Heather Boulding

New Wild Everything, the follow-up to the Polaris-shortlisted Lost Channels, reflects the band’s growth and cohesion after some heavy touring. “We’d been touring as a band, and I wanted to get some of that magic and chemistry in the recording process,” says lead singer and songwriter Tony Dekker. “We really developed a sound.”

Released just last month, the album has been well-received by critics. In the UK, The Telegraph described it as “full of warmth – and charm” while here in Canada, NOW Magazine hailed it as a “poppy, polished, triumphant record.” We set out to make a natural, organic sounding record and I think we achieved that,” says Dekker.

The album was a departure from the band’s typical process, in that it was the first one to be recorded mainly in a professional studio. With their long-time producer Andy Magoffin at the helm, the band managed to retain their distinctive sound in a new setting. “It wasn’t overly produced in a studio way,” says Dekker. “It still has inflections of acoustic instruments.” Another notable aspect of the new album is a French-language track. Dekker and his bandmates recorded two versions of the song “Fields of Progeny” – one en français. “Being a Canadian band, it was important to me to have a song in our other official national language,” he says. “I’m glad I had the extra time to finish it and I was really pleased with how it turned out.” Though Dekker doesn’t consider himself to be fluent in French, he did rediscover his multi-lingual abilities during the band’s European tour, which included plenty of shows in France. The trip was successful for the Canadian band, who have been slowly building up their following abroad over the last few years, relying on performances and word of mouth. “I feel like it was the best one so far,” says Dekker of the group’s latest trip across the pond. “The venues were consistently full – we had a really great run.”

For the North American leg of their tour, Dekker says the group has been especially enjoying performing “The Great Exhale.” “For some reason, we’re all getting into it live,” he says. “It’s a standout track for us in the live set.” Though the focus of the show will be on the new album, Dekker says fans can expect to hear a few tracks from Lost Channels and beyond. “As the band is evolving, the audience is growing,” he says. “It’s been a natural, slow and steady process.”

Great Lake Swimmers
Saturday May 12
Alix Goolden Hall at the Victoria Conservatory of Music
Tickets at Ditch, Lyle’s Place and through VCM.

TICKETS: CLICK HERE

- EG Anderson

Have you heard the new Snoqualmie album? If not, begin by giving it a spin here. Good, right? I can only promise it will sound better live this coming Tuesday, when Snoqualmie hosts the official album launch party at Lucky Bar alongside alt-rockers Freak Heat Waves.

If you’ve caught Blake Enemark play under one of his many past monikers you’ll know what to expect. Spacey jams, spastic thrashing, and, of course, some damn good hair.

Tickets are $7 in advance and Ditch and Lyle’s Place

-Jeff McAllister
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Fill up on local fruits, veg and even local meat by going to the Victoria Public Market in Market Square on Wednesday 12-5pm. If you’re peckish or need lunch, stop by for mouthwatering sandwiches, breads, ice cream, and pasta. Last time I was there, I had a apple bacon fritter …need I say more? Plus I heard a rumour about asparagus ravioli by Cowichan pasta.

-Heather Boulding
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This Saturday, May 12, Island Music Awards Nominees HANDSOME DISTRACTION and RIVER share a triple bill with Chilliwack’s PARDON MY STRIPTEASE (you know what they say – If you can make it in Vancouver…you can also make it in Chilliwack), 8pm doors at Lucky Bar, $10 in advance/$12 at the door (apparently you can get advance tix “from any of the participating band members”…so, good luck tracking them down…and hey, whatever you do, please do not approach any non-participating band members). And then on Monday the 14th, shake off your Mother’s Day hangover by checking out Island Music Awards Female Songwriter of the Year LOLA PARKS, 8pm at the Bard & Banker
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- James Kasper
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2nd Annual Spring Vintage Fair!

Join 35 local sellers with a fine selection of vintage & retro clothing, jewelry, accessories, decor, kitchen kitsch & so much more! A treasure trove of 1920′s-1980′s one-of-a-kinds!

Enjoy a spring Saturday in Victoria strolling around Moss Street market and visiting the enchanting vintage fair. You’ll be glad you did! There will be a roaming fashion show that takes place all day and a special visit from the “tweed bicycle ride” in the early afternoon. This entails many fine folks all dressed vintage and crusing through the city together. See you at the vintage fair on Sat. May 12th!

- Kai Mundigler 

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13, so my picks follow that line. On Friday, May 11, Mothering Touch is hosting a Motherfest, complete with mini spa treatments, food and music from 2-7 pm (945 Fort St). Other possibilities for you and the woman that raised you include a garden tour (Victoria Mothers Day Garden Tour runs May 12 &13 to fundraise for the Victoria Conservatory of Music )or maybe a concert (Texan musician Ian Moore is playing an acoustic show at Upstairs on May 12).

- EG Anderson
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Buccaneer Days still too far off? Can’t wait for Vancouver’s Playland to open? Celebrate the arrival of the warm weather by getting your barf on this week when West Coast Amusements rolls into Sidney with the first traveling carnival of the year. Head out to Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre from May 9 to 13, where there’ll be spinning rides and midway games and sugar-based snacks galore. An unlimited weekend daytime ride wristband will run you just $27-$29 (depending on day), and the fair opens at 5pm Wednesday, 3pm Thursday & Friday, and noon Saturday & Sunday. My only word of warning? Remember what Atomic Vaudeville taught us . . .  and don’t ride the Cyclone!

- John Threlfall
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Dance Unlimited Performing Arts is a great space in Esquimalt  with two huge studios. They’re having their “Dance Unlimited Recital” on May 26 and it’s one of the events that helped start CVV actually – I remember talking to Leanne about it a couple years ago. Definitely something to catch!

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- Phil Pierce
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With Mother’s Day around the corner, I’m thinking about the kids… Island’s Children’s Festival is a great event happening on May 12.  I love that the proceeds go to the Island Education Access Fund – a brand-new bursary created for low-income families and children with special needs. The Island Children’s Festival is a one-day community event on May 12th, 2012, that welcomes families for an afternoon of great food and live entertainment, featuring highly acclaimed children’s entertainer, Fred Penner.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door, children 6 and under are free.

- Leanne Allen
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Read more about the CVV team HERE!

Left to right -:Ben Sutherland as Harry, Jessica Brown as Maggie, Stephanie Geehan as Jean and Chris Madsen as Charlie. Photo by David Lowes, Arts Studio 21 Photography.

Looking for a wee Celtic fling to get you in the mood for the upcoming Highland Games? Hike up yer kilt and high-step your way over to the Mac for the Victoria Operatic Society’s bonnie bit o’ Brigadoon, an unashamedly simplistic musical that’s as proud to be old-fashioned as it is Scottish (just don’t listen too closely to the accents). Filled with more Highland dancing than you can toss a caber at, Brigadoon originally opened on Broadway way back in 1947—just two years after VOS itself formed—so it’s hard to criticize it . . . much.

A favourite of the young and old—but honestly kind of hit-and-miss for everyone else—Brigadoon the musical is similarly trapped in time as Brigadoon the place. As the story goes, the village of Brigadoon appears perfectly preserved from the highland mists once every 100 years; similarly, the musical itself gets hauled out every 20 years or so, much to the entertainment of kids and grandparents alike. A product of the same period that delivered such hoary old favourites as Oklahoma!, Carousel and South Pacific, if you like the kind of Broadway show that’s filled with cardboard characters, padded dance numbers and a couple of songs that were hits long before you were born, then you’ll likely enjoy Brigadoon. Certainly my nine-year-old did, as did the majority of the blue-rinse set who were humming “Almost Like Being in Love” at intermission. Me? I was much like the two Americans who accidentally stumble into the village in the story—that is, caught somewhere in-between.

After the village of Brigadoon is threatened by marauding witches in the 1740s—which is just so ridiculous I’m not even going to go there—a miracle by God removes it from time and allows them to live each day 100 years apart; our story picks up two days post-divine intervention, so 200 years later, when vacationing Americans Tommy (a stiff Craig Wilson) and Charlie (the funny Jaymes D. Goodman) accidentally stumble out of the mist and into the wedding celebrations of Charlie (a fine-voiced Chris Madsen) and Jean (the charming Stephanie Geehan). Cue the highland dancing, which goes on for most of the rest of this 150-minute production, including intermission.

Alas, even after two days, not everyone is digging the centennial sleepovers; jilted by Jean, angry young Harry (Ben Sutherland, sporting a distinctly non-18th century haircut) has gotten his sporran in a knot and threatens the survival of all if he leaves the village. Apparently God is fine with newcomers staying—as long as they love someone, as is the case at first sight between Tommy and Fiona (Amber Crouch, the best singer in the cast)—but can’t abide the idea of anyone leaving. (Some miracle. Me, I’d take the witches . . . but that’s a different show: see “Oz” in your mystical musical guidebook.) It all works out after the obligatory sword dance and bagpipe solo, of course, with an ending that even allows for an unnecessary reprise of almost every major number in the show.

The highlights in this production all lie with team Scotland: Crouch, Madsen, Geehan and compulsory buxom lass Megan Johns offer high-spirited and powerfully sung performances that keep things moving along nicely, as does director/choreographer Tara Britt (with an assist by Deanna Callander, and a trademarked funereal dance number by Agnes de Mille). Alas, things slow to a crawl whenever the dancing stops and Wilson takes centre-stage; despite a strong voice, his Tommy has less chemistry with Crouch’s Fiona than the fake heather on set designer John Britt and Guy Chester’s hill . . . which, yes, manages to include both a low road and a high road. Goodman, once again cast in the comic sidekick role, tries to pick up the pace, but between Tommy’s milquetoast character and Wilson’s stiff interpretation of it, I was all but ready to haul out my claymore and offer a Braveheart-inspired cry of “Freedom!” just to stop him from threatening my own highland gene pool whenever he made ho-hum goo-goo eyes at Fiona.

As always, the great lighting by Adam Wilkinson (especially the sun dappling through the mist) and top-notch costumes by David Hardwick and Heather Lewis (although there’s only so much you can do with plaids and kilts) remain a highlight, and a hearty tip o’ the tam to music director Rick Underwood, whose 16-piece orchestra offers one of the best-sounding VOS bands in recent memory.

Despite being inherently corny and not necessarily aging well, Brigadoon still has what it takes to make an audience smile—and this one’s at its best when the stage is filled to bursting with high-steppin’ lads and lassies. Still in the game after nearly 70 years, VOS clearly knows how to entertain its house when it comes to community musicals—and it’s great to see the next generation of talent, in the form of director Tara Britt and the sprightly young cast, stepping up to the plate. Here’s hoping for good things from next season’s offerings of The Sound of Music and—surprisingly—Miss Saigon. (Cue the model helicopter!)

—John Threlfall

Brigadoon
Until May 13 at the McPherson Playhouse
http://www.vos.bc.ca/brigadoon_2012.html

PHOTOS - click any image then click NEXT or hit “n” to cycle through them…

Despite not having made the trek to BRC for a few years now, as a veteran Burner myself (first time for me was back in 1999, with a scant and sparse first-day population of just 1,500 people—compared to last year’s staggering 53,000-plus), I still feel the playa’s pull each year, like summer’s siren call, urging me to dust off my PVC, dip myself in glitter and indulge in a week’s worth of radical self-reliance and mandatory participation.

But since it doesn’t look like I’ll be heading back to the playa just yet, what better way to stay engaged with all things Burning Man than via the steady stream of documentaries that continue to emerge from people’s experiences? Case in point: this week’s Canadian premiere of Black Rock Horse, happening locally at a pair of screenings at the Sunset Room on Sunday, May 6.

LA filmmaker Todd Darling’s 30-minute indie documentary focusses on the epic Trojan horse project, in which Vancouver-based artists Douglas Bevans and Alaya Boisvert dropped $90,000 on the construction and subsequent immolation of a 26-ton, bar-equipped, rolling wooden horse at Burning Man in 2011. And while the project itself is staggering in its scope—especially the voluntary participation of some 600 toga-clad slaves to haul the horse around the playa, complete with a marching band playing original processional music composed by Bevans—the resulting film is as typically fascinating and frustrating as most Burning Man docs tend to be.

Considering the inherent audacity and downright coolness of the project itself, director Darling makes the mistake of focussing on the making of his own film rather than zooming in on the central artistic endeavour. Apart from a few hurried conceptual sketches and early photos, we get no real sense of the origin of the project and never hear directly from the artists themselves.

Essential questions like, “Why a Trojan horse?”, “What’s the obsession with Homer?”, “What were the major hurdles to overcome?” and “How did they feel about how it all came together?” never get asked, let alone answered. Instead, we tend to hear more about Darling’s own cinematic problems—cameras that are planned but not mounted, batteries that run out—and the never-quite-crisis that surrounds the whole event through a less-than-engaging voice-over by the director.

Here’s hoping artists Douglas Bevans and Alaya Boisvert will get more of a chance to speak about it all at Sunday’s screenings, where they’ll both be in attendance along with director Todd Darling. Still, anyone who’s already jonesing for the playa and needs a bit of recompression before heading back to Nevada this year will likely enjoy the excuse to connect with the local Burner community and will no doubt dig this short flashback.

- John Threlfall

Black Rock Horse
Two screenings on Sunday, May 6 at the Sunset Room
7:30pm, with an 8pm Q&A session, and 9pm with a 9:30 Q&A session
A reception with guest DJ Scott Meyer will follow the last screening
Tickets $12 at the door. Funds will go towards the purchase of carbon offsets from Planet Air to minimize the footprint related to the build and burn of the Trojan horse.