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Previous posts have described the origins of the Card Table Artifice. Of course, the writing of the work is only a small part of the overall process. We still have to bring it to the stage and in two days, we will do just that when we present the world premier of this new work. The thought is both frightening and exhilarating. Fortunately the tension is reduced because of the team responsible for putting it all together.
The stage version is an elegant three-ring circus. In the center ring you have Gavin Bryars and the Art of Time Ensemble performing Gavin’s marvelous score. Then, stage left you have R.H. Thomson, one of Canada’s finest actors, creating the role of S. W. Erdnase (the author of the book) as he proofs his manuscript, the seminal text on card cheating. Finally on stage right, you have the card cheat – isolated – a man in a room, gambling – presenting and refining his technique, amplified and explained by an enormous video wall with imagery created by Julie Eng and Cameron Davis, manipulated by Davis. All of this takes place in a minimalist setting beautifully lit and designed by Glenn Davidson.
Adding to the excitement is Rob Zabrecky’s TURN ON THE DARK!, a 45-minute comically macabre performance, which is as delightful as it is disturbing. Rob – imagine a cross between David Bryne and Norman Bates – takes great pleasure in being different, and our audiences will thank him for it. We certainly do.
DAVID BEN
