Jessica Bowmer as the Worker in “Art Ambulance”, Photo courtesy of Clay and Paper Theatre
Though they have recently rebranded to represent more expansive opportunities for creative outreach, Crossroads Theatre (formerly Shakespeare In Action) is retaining its focus on outdoor, accessible theatre. Presenting at Little Avenue Memorial Park in the heart of the Weston neighbourhood, Summer in the Park hosts a number of free, family friendly events. I was able to attend Clay and Paper Theatre’s Art Ambulance, a commedia dell’arte inspired salve for our wounded psyches.
In a series of simple yet pithy sketches, Clay and Paper employ their trademark masks, puppets and songs to prod young minds into questioning the status quo. Wrestling with corporate greed, climate change, willful ignorance and complacency, an ensemble of performers maintain a breezy momentum throughout this low-key spectacle.
It opens with the huge hands and face of a figure decorated with stylized foliage that represents Mother Earth. Hands outstretched and flanking the stage area like a sentient proscenium, Gaia’s inviting and protective.
I found the ominously towering figure of the Oligarch (seen below) to be especially creepy with his predatory slit pupils formed out of elongated dollar signs. With hands outstretched, he lurches menacingly over the figure of the Worker, who tries to push back, but is outmatched until joined by a team of like-minded plebs.
There is a playful, well-considered allegory in which the sneaky character of Lies steals Truth’s beautiful clothing and embarks on a series of deceptive ventures. Featuring a castelet with scrolling title cards, this segment is indicative of the company’s clever and whimsical approach to storytelling.
Directed by Clay and Paper’s founder, David Anderson, the didactic intentions of each sketch are finessed by the playful execution. Art Ambulance is brief yet rewarding, which I’m sure holds true for all of Summer in the Park’s offerings.
Art Ambulance
running August 23 to 25, 2024
Little Avenue Memorial Park (22 Little Avenue)
running time: 40 minutes
Daniel Sutherland animating the Oligarch from Night of Dread (2016), Photo courtesy of Clay and Paper Theatre