Warp

WARP is a theatrical project integrating media arts and performance in a reflection on the deeply intimate and simultaneously unwieldy political dimensions of the drug toxicity crisis. The WARP Makers Space was a series of devised theatre workshops that explored the motivations of the play’s 3 main characters, and which proposed a set of theatrical symbolisms that divert preconceptions on the War on Drugs. Devised theatre builds on the unscripted creative offerings of an ensemble, in exploration of a core thematic inquiry. This 4-week collaborative arc culminated in a fusion of creative proposals on what it means to claim space amidst grief, merging lighting, movement, imagery, and text.

Playwright: Erin Howley

Lighting and Projection Designer: Nathan Bruce

Performers: Daibei Wang and Simone Matheson


ABOUT THE ARTIST
Erin Howley is a mixed-media artist whose work spans inner worlds and societal landscapes. Her artistic practice activates material history to expose social intimacies that lie at the core of public policy. She is influenced by 15 years of frontline work, collaborating through education and research with communities at the forefront of criminal justice and drug policy reform. Through installation, video, and performance-based inquiry, Erin uses storytelling as a starting point to explore themes of identity, justice, and power.

The 2014 WARP workshop was completed with support from the Ontario Arts Council and Charles Street Video.

 2024