Silence
"Living as we do, on the edge of destruction"
by Moira Buffini
Directed by Luciana S. Fernandes
​
Performed in the Dorothy Sommerset Studio Nov 28th- Dec 1st 2019
​
Photography: Niko Bell
Costumes: Linh A. Bao
Lighting design: Samaya Daker
Sound design: Yuqing Nie
Set: Darci Carrier
Stage manager: Rachel Shim
Silence is a tale of self-discovery, where the contrast between what "is," what "seems to be," or "is expected to be" are challenged.
​
Humorous and dark, this is a healing ritual done through gallows humor.
This play is set appropriately in the dark ages. My approach was to give it a fairy-talesque quality to this world where young princesses, kings, warriors and servants are “living on the edge of destruction.”
​
The costumes were inspired by the historical context; the set was whimsical and magical; and the characterization and language were contemporary.
The play was grounded in history, with the distance of myth for awe and the closeness in characterization and topic that speaks to us, now.
​
In this production, dreams became choreographed fantastical sequences, giving full expression to the inner forces and fantasies that propelled the characters into action.
When you inherit a world that seems doomed, where one's fates have been decided for them, and you have big shoes to fill and no idea of how you are going to do it, Silence gives us hope that can we rise from the ashes of this dark age and usher a new renaissance.
​
Sometimes, we need a fairy-tale to build up our own hope.
