Author Archives: Leann Erickson

A Charade for Life

Posted on by

So here I am in the chaotic Temple Bar district of Dublin and I am confused. Not only by the location but by the strangeness of the performance I just watched. The two part performance of Egg Charade at the “Projects Art Center,” was a show about the concepts of fertility and the necessary regiments a woman must do to live up to a conventional ideal. The show’s mysterious duo, Peggy and Peggy, incorporated a whirlwind of mystery and humor easily noted by the audience members’ reactions to their performance.  Although quirky and strange, the performance still resonates with me a week after its closing.

Initially, the twists and turns to this performance had me lost. The first fifteen minutes of the performance utilized the public city street. It was the first time I had ever experienced a performance this way. As part of the audience, our aerial position overlooked the street, granting us the ability to watch everyone down below, a necessary component to the performance. We often take so much for granted in life, a simple stroll on the street may be entertainment to someone else who may see the world from a different angle – an idea I felt to be apparent in the actions of the street occupants and the audience members. The awkward and humorous tension between everyone often preoccupied me more than the performance going on before me.  But in light of all this, I am much more aware of the actions I perform everyday, because who knows who I may be entertaining.

This idea of being examined from a different perspective was connected to the intimate second half of the performance inside “The Cube.” From the start, these performers played on the idea of conception and the regiments a woman must go through to conceive. From eating vegetables, aerobic exercises, and (sexual) bowling positions, the characters appear to be shaping up so they can fulfill their biological right of giving life to another. Throughout the performance there was an intimate and sometimes conflicting connection between the two dancers. As the performance progressed, the over-arching theme displayed the idea of molding oneself to fit into the male-dominated world. It was interesting to see a performance like this in Ireland where women ‘s rights are much more limited. But the pressure to fit in exists everywhere, and as a young, American woman who has been bombarded with unobtainable images of beauty for most of my life, I was moved by their ability to let their inhibitions go. The performer’s physical and mental exposure allowed them to find the natural beauty within.

Although initially confused and shocked by this performance, I found new meaning in this unconventional work. Yes, the site of the raw female form threw me, but the performance’s deeper depiction of strong, self-confident women who have love, and pride in their bodies and all the possibilities they may possess, will hold strong. Through its abnormality, Egg Charade encouraged us all to find the beauty within ourselves.

– Tara McNulty

photo link Egg Charade

Trinity vs. Temple : Inner City Universities

Posted on by

After my first day of class, as I was wandering lost in the midst of Dublin, I stumbled across an old set of buildings.  Not sure as to what it was, curiosity got the best of me, and I was forced to investigate.  It turns out that this campus was Trinity College.  Traveling from Temple University, which is also an inner-city school, Trinity College provided many similarities and differences to what I experience daily.

Built between 1755 and 1759, Trinity College is a prime example of Georgian architecture.  The buildings are made of stone and are situated in a square around a bright green lawn.  The Georgian architecture at Trinity College uses gray rock, and symmetrical lines.  Panel front doors were centered and often topped with rectangular windows and surrounded by elaborate decoration.  Larger windows were used on the lower floors, with the smaller ones at top.  They are arranged with about 5 across the floor of the building.  Smaller windows have 6 panes while the larger have either 9 or 12.

Most of these buildings were built by Sir William Chambers, who was the architect for George III.  Two of the most prominent buildings are the library, which holds the Book of Kells, and the chapel, which is the only chapel in the Irish Republic that is shared by all Irish denominations.  They surround the Campanile, which is better known to us Temple students as the bell tower.    Upon doing some research, I found that the court was arranged by Thomas Nevile in the early 17th century, and has retained its same look today.

While walking through the area, I felt calm.  While it is constantly filled with people, if one would walk through, it would not feel hectic.  Finding an open space like this in a city like Dublin would have been previously unheard of in my mind.  Coming from a city like Philadelphia, this area is a nice change of pace.  Our city has no open spaces on a college campus; instead all of the buildings are crowded together.  This could also be because of the difference in student population.  Temple is home to about 38,000 students, while Trinity students total to just under 18,000 students.

As I left Trinity College, I found myself wishing that Temple University would be more architecturally similar to Trinity College. I definitely prefer the Georgian architecture and the open calm to the mish-mash style of buildings and hectic nature of Temple.   However, in my mind, Temple would not work if it were just in one style of architecture.  The variety of architectural styles represent the variety of students you can find there. While they do share some similar characteristics, both Temple & Trinity work architecturally for the area they are located in.  I guess this experience can only lead me to appreciate the buildings at Temple more, once we get back to Philadelphia.

 

It’s Kind of Meant to be a Comedy Francis

Posted on by

Only in Ireland would there be films considered to be comedies that have people accidentally dying in brutal ways in them. In fact, it is quite jarring to watch as an American who has just woken up in Ireland; especially while still slightly in that ‘Have I woken up back in the United States?’ mindset. But this is the entire plot to A Film With Me In It (2008) by Ian Fitzgibbon. It is the absurd story of the very unlikely, accidental deaths of two roommates, their landlord, a policewoman and their dog. The majority of the film consists of the remaining roommate and his friend frantically trying to deal with this unfortunate situation. The plot tries very hard to draw in the audience with one bad decision after another, but fails to entice the viewer into becoming invested in the fates of the characters.

While the series of unfortunate events that befall the characters, the film within a film ending, and the black comedic aspect of the deaths all have potential, each aspect fights with the others for the spotlight. None of the elements get the chance to really resonate with the audience. The film within a film ending feels as though it was almost tacked on at the end in an effort to pull the work together. While sudden and comedic, the deaths never match the absurdity of the rest of the film. The many elements of the film are entertaining and seem like good ideas, but none of them are followed through with enough substance to reach their full potential. Despite the characters being ripe with Irish charm, they are unable to fully charm the viewer into their story and pull together the entirety of the film.

The Irish charisma of the film brings out a unique aspect of Irish cinema: the different sense of humor and otherwise morbid happenings that are not a rarity in Irish film. Finding humor in these kinds of situations is a particular talent of Irish directors. No matter how many negative things happen the characters buckle down and move through it with a dark sense of humor. This black humor has become a staple of the Irish attitude. Even in lighthearted situations there is always something dark to be found underneath.

However, this film is able to communicate a certain easy-going outlook on daily situations that many Irish people have. They look at a situation with an ‘Oh this is your problem? Well, just do this – it’s simple,’ attitude. Upon first arriving in Dublin and talking with some locals, one can get the sense that they do not get flustered easily, especially through the eyes of an American. Even if, for example, 17 students fresh from the United States flood your store and buy out the entire stock of your cheapest phone. Despite generally having a negative outlook on a bad situation they are able to keep their head down and get through it with their very dark sense of humor.

Amos Hanna

Dublin Pub Serves White Chocolate

Posted on by

In the United States, it’d be beyond my nature to accept a night’s outing on a Tuesday but this week I found myself for the first time outside my limits and in the city of Dublin. The simple motivation and anticipation of sitting inside a pub with brilliant live music drove me to put on my coat and dancing shoes. I’ve heard live Irish music at festivals, Irish-American Weekends, and of course around Saint Patrick ’s Day but I still didn’t feel confident in assuming that I’d find something similar in Dublin. On Tuesday night I didn’t just hear Irish Music, I experienced live Irish Artists singing and playing the tunes of not only Ireland but also songs of the United States.

It was late and our group of study abroad students had already spent some time at another pub.  Because it was “half eleven” our next destination was cut short.  With a friendly suggestion we found ourselves standing outside the dark doors of “The Mezz” or self-proclaimed “Tabernacle of Tunage.”  This place was different than others in the area simply because of the burly bouncer waiting on the stairs to reference IDs.  I found this to be quite refreshing and the act of carding evoked feelings of nostalgia.

Upon entering, I noticed The Mezz was quite grungy in décor and style, with a dive-bar atmosphere.  There was what looked like magazine/newspaper clippings of famous artists pasted to the walls, along with faded vintage concert posters.  The artists were easily recognizable rock bands of the UK and US.  I soon strolled over to the bar and was delighted by the inexpensive beer options beyond popular brands. The place seemed to be going for an underground feel while still being set in such a busy zone. Because The Temple Bar area is often overrun with tourists and high prices, I was happy to experience this other side.

After grabbing a drink I headed to the stage where the sweet, sultry sounds of “Riders on the Storm” were heard.  Although The Doors are an American Classic Rock band, Tuesday’s group “White Chocolate” put an Irish twist on their music.  They continued to bring this Irish Rock influence to other American rock songs including Nirvana’s grunge hit “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” and the recent “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon. Although we were standing in “Temple Bar’s Capital of Live Music” and Irish “White Chocolate” was playing what would often be considered “American music” I was more than pleased with their cultural reinterpretation.

Through my visit on Tuesday, I’ve begun to realize an underlying musical connection. Although artists recreate songs in different ways, there are certain songs and genres that remain timeless throughout the world.  Specifically amongst the young, in both the US and Ireland, there is a pull toward the underground and with that an obvious rebellion against the mainstream. The Mezz is an example of a pub venue that caters to this kind visitor with absolute success.

Faith Scheerbaum

the mezz-001

inSpired

Posted on by

Dublin never struggled to inSpire…

I arrived at Dublin airport at around 11am on Monday morning. Appreciate that it was actually 6am back home and I was lucky if I got an hour of sleep during the 10 hours on the way over. Upon arrival I could only think of sleeping but my travel directors wouldn’t hear of it. As soon as I put my bags were in my room our welcoming party rushed us into an orientation.

The students I was traveling with congregated outside the apartments. We went through the ritual orientation that barely informed us of anything, but it did the service of covering the host company’s ass. We were designated a generous hour to get our affairs in order and we were on our way… once again. Following the instructions we were given, we made a “quick right out of the gate and sort of a sharp left” which ran us into Henry Street.

Dublin was nice enough. It was a cute city but it failed to impress me at first sight. We made a right onto O’Connell and I was so deep in my state of dense delirium that I failed to even notice the 400 foot tall pillar that was standing right in front of me.

The spire in Dublin has the official title of “The Monument of Light” and is the tallest sculpture in the world. The exterior is coated in a shiny silver metallic. At the base of the statue is one of its most unique features. The contractor took a core sample of the earth where the spire would stand and cut the geological pattern into the three meter base of the sculpture. The spire actually replaced the “Nelson’s Pillar” which was destroyed in 1966 by an IRA bombing. The IRA was a paramilitary group that opposed the British influence. They destroyed the monument because of its symbolic representation of British power over the Irish.

After getting over my feelings of embarrassment for having missed a giant monument right in front of me, I couldn’t help but wonder how and why I’d never known that this piece of art existed. I always think of the United States as having a strong grasp on world culture but this was evidence that growing up in a particular geographical location had little to do with my knowledge of international monuments. This was a truly amazing sight and I even dropped my jaw a bit in awe.

The spire is a unique and valuable contribution to the city of Dublin. Being right in the middle of the city gives everyone the opportunity to see it and is an accurate representation of the city’s grand mentality. As I lost sight of the spire on my walk up the street, I knew that Dublin had only started to show me the mystique that she had hiding in her alleys. The next few weeks of my visit would prove to be eventful and my expectations would be exceeded.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Symbols, Symbols Everywhere

Posted on by

Coming to Ireland I expected to see Irish dancing everywhere, traditional Irish garb as normal fashion, fiddles and clapping as the music of the country. The way America portrays it, it seems as though the Irish have never gotten out of their traditional, simple way of life.

I was seriously mistaken.

The Dublin Dance Festival, held at the Project Arts Center just up the road from Temple Bar, encompassed more than a traditional realm of dancing. As I waited for the show to start I felt curious and anxious to figure out what I was about to witness.

Egg Charade, an experimental dance performance, follows the characters Peggy and Peggy as they participate in a challenging exploration of issues in fertility and physical identities of females. Egg Charade had two parts. The first portion began outside, as the audience watched from a second story window in the art center. Two characters, as if setting up a mystery, used the street as their stage. I left the first part feeling a bit baffled and also felt a sense of comedic relief throughout the street portion of the show. The second portion of the show was in a small, cramped, intimate space where symbolism filled the room. Through the performance, I could see the portrayal of having to learn about yourself before having to take care of another living thing.

Structurally, the performance brought us through the stages of giving birth by acting out peculiar movements and awkward tension. The shock value of this performance left me puzzled inside and wondering if I was interpreting it in the right way. The beauty of this performance; though, was that I found myself picking apart the performance to mean so many different things especially as a young woman. The symbolism of exhaustion, fertility, sexuality, and stripping oneself of material things that don’t matter was so potent throughout this strong portrayal of feeling and emotion.

The symbolism in the show that stood out the most was the use of the pomegranate. Many were carried around in a bag for the duration of the performance and then were used to bowl with, eventually splattering around at the end of the show. To me, I felt it represented exhaustion of fertility in that the way the pomegranates were used throughout the show as well as sexuality as a woman in that pomegranates are supposedly aphrodisiacs. The element of the pomegranates gave connotation to many different interpretations.

The characters Peggy and Peggy eventually strip off their clothes, both literally and metaphorically and in doing so, make this performance hard to forget. As a woman in today’s society, I can say that this was a learning experience in that I walked in expecting the weirdest (and yeah, I got the weirdest), but the subject matter really spoke to me.

Egg Charade was different, edgy, ironic, entertaining, and uncomfortable. Let’s just say, I won’t be thinking of Irish Dancing the next time I come to Ireland.

Shannon Haugh

Pomegranate used in "Egg Charade"

Pomegranate used in “Egg Charade”

Why Tumble when you can Spill?

Posted on by

It was Saturday, 9 pm and my flight left Philly on time.  If all went well, I would sleep all the way to Dublin. Catching the Air Coach, I arrived at my City Centre hotel at 11am- exactly 3 hours too early for check in.  Suffering from a case of serious jet lag, I had two choices –  spend the next few hours investigating the local pubs or catch a Dublin Dance Festival performance by Spill.

“Spill” is a public art performance developed by the UK-based dance center DanceXchange.  For the past year, a troupe of dancers has been touring playgrounds in the UK and Ireland, incorporating the local terrain into their acrobatic performance.  Described as a “cheeky dance celebration for the child within” (1), Spill promised to be an unorthodox addition to the annual Dublin festival.

Everyone had told me that Ireland was the land of rain.  Bring your umbrella, buy a rain coat, wear your rubber boots, dress in layers….tales were told of the leather shoes that came unglued because of the constant wet.  But as I made my way to the #15 bus stop, carryon luggage in tow, the crystal blue skies and warm breeze promised a beautiful day for dancing.

Situated on the northeast edge of Dublin Centre, Fairview Park was ‘a wee bit’ of a bus ride and a considerable cultural distance from the tourist trap of Grafton Street.  As I entered the park, I noticed graffiti on surrounding buildings and tags on some of the playground equipment.  But a hurling game was in progress on the field behind the playground and boys kicked soccer balls to anyone who seemed willing to return the favor.  Children of all ages scampered over equipment as their parents claimed spectator turf at the edges of the enclosed playground.

At 1pm rhythmic music began pulsating from speakers ringing the play space. As an announcer introduced the Spill performers, he also pointed out to the onlookers that the Spill dancers were professionals and warned the children that they should not try the tricks themselves.  What followed was a 30-minute demonstration of physical grace and athletic skill as four dancers jumped, rolled and twirled through a performance that mimicked the rough and tumble of a childhood playground.

The performance was exuberant and clearly engaged the diverse audience.  Despite the cheerful mood of the performance, there was an underlying current running through the performance that I found troubling. The troupe, consisting of 3 men and a woman, embraced characterizations of childhood archetypes- the clown, the bully, the victim and the girl- yet offered no critique of these representations.  In fact, the storyline of the performance seemed organized around these archetypes, often playing the bully for laughs.  Waiting at the stop for the bus that would take me back to City Centre, I found myself hoping that, despite the many enjoyable aspects of the performance, parents in the audience might find this event to be a ‘teaching moment’. Kids, don’t try this at home.

LeAnn Erickson

1. http://www.dancexchange.org.uk/news/spill-a-playground-of-dance-2013-tour