This documentary that comes out on February 5th, 2021, centers around the question of whether we are living in a simulation. Filmmaker Rodney Ascher uses testimony, philosophical evidence, and scientific explanations to try and work through the question, and possible answers. Director Ascher is also known for the documentaries “The Nightmare” and “Room 237”.
I am excited to watch this documentary because I have often pondered this question, and I hope I can be convinced one way or the other by the evidence that is provided! The trailer also looked super creepy and thought provoking, so I’ll hopefully be thinking about the simulation we live in for days after the movie.
The first night of the 44th Ann Arbor Folk Fest was spot-on in its delivery of a diverse and eclectic mix of music, even though the event had to transition to an online event for 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. As a fundraiser for The Ark, a performance venue in Ann Arbor specializing in folk and roots music, the Folk Fest program reflected the range of local, up-and-coming, and well-known artists that perform on The Ark’s stage.
Indeed, I left the evening’s performance with a whole host of new music to add to my regular playlist. While I admit that I have generally gravitated toward familiar, or at least predictable, performances and artists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Folk Fest, and the vast array of its program, reminded me of the joys of discovering new art and artists, which is something that I found the virtual format does not diminish.
The program lasted a whopping five and a half hours in total (which was unexpectedly long for a virtual concert!), and there is no way that I can pay appropriate tribute to each of the thirteen artists that performed. However, I will offer my thoughts on three of my favorite sets of the night, the music from which I have found myself listening to repeatedly since the Folk Fest: The Accidentals, Gina Chavez, and The War and Treaty. To see the entire lineup from the first night of the Folk Fest, as well as to learn more about each of the artists, visit https://theark.org/folk-festival
While most of the performances were pre-recorded from various locations, The Accidentals, a three-member northern Michigan-based folk band comprised of cello, guitar, drums, and vocals, performed the opening set for the Folk Fest live from The Ark Stage. The first song that they played, “Michigan and Again,” is an ode to the Mitten State that will have Michiganders closely attuned to the lyrics, in addition to captivated by the catchy tune.
“Great state, what state am I in?
Compass roses bloom again
Home of the water, Canada’s daughter
Cradled in a crescent moon grin
Michigan and again and again and again and again
Michigan and again and again and again and again”
-from “Michigan and Again” by The Accidentals
The Accidentals (Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause)
They also performed the entirety of their brand-new EP Time Out. However, the most exciting song of the set was “Wildfire,” which was released as a single the very day of the Folk Fest. In fact, the Folk Fest was the Accidentals first live performance of “Wildfire” with singer-songwriter Kim Richey, who traveled from Tennessee to be at The Ark. In all seriousness, the song’s pared-down orchestration (strings, guitars, and three voices all huddled around a single microphone), seemed like a salve offering relief from the stress of pandemic life.
Gina Chavez
In contrast, the most energetic performance of the expertly programmed night belonged to Latin GRAMMY-nominated singer Gina Chavez. Her pre-recorded performance was taken from a drive-in concert, complete with an impressive outdoor set and car-honking “applause.” Excitingly, because Chavez’s set was recorded, she was able to join the Folk Fest’s chat, which added a sense of connection that I have not always experienced when watching prerecorded virtual performances. On top of that, the music was fantastic, and high-level camerawork allowed audiences to fully enjoy both the sight and the sound of Chavez and her accompanying band (which had an awesome brass section including trombone and trumpet). If you have not listened to Gina Chavez before, you are missing out! Some of the songs that she performed at the Folk Fest included “She Persisted” and “Ella.”
The War and Treaty (Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount)
Lastly, The War and Treaty, a husband-wife duo that defies musical categorization by blending influences including rock, soul, and country, was another of my favorites. Their performance, which was a joyful, spirit-lifting, and intimate recording from their home, included songs such as “Jubilee” and “Pretty Moon.” They also performed a tribute to the late singer-songwriter John Prine, to whom the Ann Arbor Folk Fest was dedicated.
When the first night of the Ann Arbor Folk Fest concluded at an impressive 12:30 am, I was left with a full heart and a head overflowing with song lyrics.
Swirling in a digital space, images of performers move in and out of view. Audience members are taken on a curated artistic experience, each work framed by a different striking background. Though unrelated in message, dances are linked in their ability to thrust viewers into a never-before-created world. Vivid colors, stunning silhouettes, clear intention– this is none other than Range of Reaction.
Having premiered on January 29th, audience members across the region watched Range of Reaction unfold on their very own screens. The digital showcase was presented by Arts in Color, a Department of Dance student organization dedicated to committed to promoting leadership and social activism in the arts. The showcase featured five original works, each of which was choreographed, performed, filmed, edited, and produced entirely by University of Michigan dance majors.
Beginning in silence, the work of Leah O’Donnell opens the show with its commentary on different perceptions of femininity. Dancers interact with various props such as a cloth mannequin and a broom, inviting audience members to consider the ways in which women are viewed at the societal level. Juxtaposition of person and prop creates several points in which it is impossible to tell what is human and what is not, thus emphasizing the illusions that O’Donnell says women are expert at creating.
Moving into its next work, Range of Reaction offers a trio choreographed by Chloe Chodorow that combines traditional and contemporary dance aesthetics to create what she calls a ‘contemporary fan dance’. The three dancers weave in and out of one another amidst the vastness of Nichols Arboretum, dancing with the fan as if it was a fourth performer. Continuing at a steady pace, the work has a visceral elegance that leaves audience members enamored from beginning to end.
The following work is a solo choreographed and performed by Cristina Benn. Set in a black box theater, Benn takes viewers on an incredibly expressive journey. She is the only individual in the space, but it is impossible not to feel her presence as she allows her story to unfold through her movement. The music is deeply powerful, but the passionate movement remains the rightful center of attention as Benn commands the space.
The end of the solo brings the beginning of the work of Katey Besser, a small ensemble work focused on the differences between individual and group think. Once again bringing viewers to the Arboretum, Besser’s work features four dancers and their efforts to break away from a collective. Dancers move in and out of different areas of the Arboretum, each of which frames dancers in a differently exciting way.
Bringing the showcase to a close, Rose Janusiak and Alana Packo present a deeply personal exploration of intimacy and interaction in queer friendship. The work is filled with imagery that finds a way to stay in the mind of viewers even hours after the showcase reaches its end. No scene in this dance film is the same, thus providing a complex representation of friendship.
The beauty of Range of Reaction lies in its creation of a world that is somehow both dreamily surreal yet faintly within reach. Meticulously curated, the showcase’s five original works create a varied landscape of differing aesthetics and intentions, ensuring that there is something that virtually any audience member will find enjoyable. This showcase is the quintessential COVID-era art: digital, emotional, and a representation of what can be created when armed with dedication and a vision. Those looking to fall head first into an escape from their current lives should look no further– Range of Reaction will pull viewers into a new universe as soon as they hit ‘play’.
Though I hate being on Zoom all day just as much as the next guy, this was a refreshingly creative break from the usual soul-crushing nature of staring at a screen.
Kate Stark plays Marnie, the child actor moved to stay in the entertainment biz through voice acting, and Megan Wesner plays Raven, the interviewer. There was a little bit of a surreal quality to the setup of the play, a pre-written interview between fictional characters delivered through a computer screen to an invisible audience. This feeling of layered disconnection fit well with the subject, though, as Raven interviews a woman miles and years away from her days on set, but whose mentality through adulthood has been shaped by that period. It makes us wonder which parts of our lives can outlast time; how much control we have over such an assignment of importance. Will all our actions made to establish our evolving character be fruitful, or will some long-dead part of ourselves always surpass new identities?
I’m speculating, but it felt like Marnie was inspired by Mara Wilson, the actress who played the title character Matilda in the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel. Since her childhood acting days, she’s moved on to podcasts and writing, far more removed from the limelight and everything that comes with it. While feelings of burnout and disillusionment are common amongst child actors after they grow up, Wilson is particularly similar to Marnie in how down-to-earth she is in interviews, seemingly well-adjusted with just a slight hint of neurosis. Both explore the idea of what it means to be part of the public domain, particularly at a young age; to be discussed in invasive detail by strangers who cannot see the person behind the character.
Between both the real and fictional ex-child actors, there is an understanding that one’s relationship with the world changes with early fame and adoration and the up-close nature of strangers’ perceptions of oneself. Acting can be a consumer of identity, but it may also create it. It’s a hard business to leave, being so emotionally and literally enveloping, and it can distort one’s relationships, need for approval, maybe even their sense of reality.
The interview with Marnie followed these sentiments, elevating them to extremes, but not to unrealistic heights.
Performance is both a creative expression and a lie; it builds up some character or version of something beyond oneself. Putting on a costume and makeup and a new voice and foreign mannerisms can occur anywhere from a TV set to a board meeting. It’s happening now as I write this, as I impersonate a deep-thinking intellectual with thoughts on The Psyche. Imposterism permeates the mind, and it never really leaves.
And both when the act of performance is recognized as fiction or accepted as a truthful depiction, it can affect one’s presentation of themselves, their understanding of and comfort with other people. Marnie’s discussion works to define a dissociative disorder amplified by the actor’s need to project inhuman versatility, and the creative’s need to continuously create.
The Ark is a staple of our community, Ann Arbor’s #1 source for all things acoustic! But it’s been a hard year for live music, to say the least. This year’s annual Ann Arbor Folk Fest will be held online this year, with ticket and merch sales going towards fundraising to keep this beautiful venue kicking for years to come.
The two-day event begins Friday, January 29th at 6pm and continues through the evening, with a second group of artists performing during the same hours on Saturday. I’ll be going Friday, but both nights will undoubtedly be lots of fun! Sets are around 30 minutes and feature artists of recognition and up-and-coming nature. It’s a great night to experience an at-home concert with your roommates; still a wonderful musical event, with the added benefit of being able to show up in your pajamas.
Get your tickets (with package options that include Ark merch from event t-shirts to mugs) here:
Theatre Nova, while no longer putting on plays for an in-person audience, has been giving online access to live performances each month, garnering a great reception from the Ann Arbor thespian scene. The events feature original, 20-40 minute plays from new playwrights.
January’s play of the month is Whatcha Doin? by Jacquelyn Priskorn. It’s about a former child actor reflecting on their childhood career, and how her being typecast as a goofy loser has affected her throughout her life. It speaks to the effects of being an object of others’ consumption–strangers with no recognition of your own identity apart from a character.
This winter brings another season of performances for your viewing pleasure, beginning Wednesday, January 27 at 8pm via Zoom. The season continues through April. The events are performed live, but are taped and available online as well for the next month.
Find tickets to this individual play ($10) or the whole season ($30) here: bit.ly/TNPOTM1
