Битеф

face, Moebius has given to mime a global view of the arts through acting, movement, masks and dance. Gaulin, founder (actor) artistic director, has created sketches of daily life, adding touches of humor and creativity in its delivery. His renditions of bizarre characters, animals and realistic people, demonstrated his ability and experience of isolation and concentration needed to perform such a high quality show. Carmen Orlandis-Habsburgo and Rick Van Tassel joined Gaulin in complementing the imagery of Moebius. Sound and lighting accented the visual cues and were expertly designed and executed by Bonnie Anderson, stage manager/lighting designer. The multitudes were able to enjoy watching Cockroaches (created with black caps, interesting masks, movement and sound) devour a lump of sugar - neighbors in conflict - a romantic rendezvous (utilizing an impeccably performed stair and elevator routine) - as well as traditional styles of puppeteering and illusion. B.F. Skinner's well-known theory of learning through animal behavior research;- is well depicted through four short vignettes in Psychology 101. His basic theory with chickens is demonstrated, then expanded to human behavior through relationships, confession and love. Even though the creative ingenuity is very much present, Moebius does not exclude the art of mime. In pieces such as Morning Glory, Golgotha and most of all A.R.M.S., the true sense of the art. of mime is released in arm movements, precision fusion and bodily control. The Company does not present us with a pre-set interpretation of these pieces, which added to the total enjoyment by all audience members. Moebius is currently travelling through Ontario and the States. If you happen to cross their path (or vice versa) do not hesitato to enter this world of fantasy, since Moebius enters the future with eyes open and its mind free. □ J.M. Jolicoeur. ___

Magic Moebius Three is a magic number. Мое-

bins, formerly the Paul Gaulin Company, through the collaboration of only three talented artists, managed to entrance a very diversified audience last Friday night. Moehius is fusion theatre. Traditional mask, movement, dance, and mime are adapted and combined, and new techniques are created. Opening Friday's performance was an Illusion Trilogy, consisting of short sketches, each with an underlying theme. The first sketch, about greed, was a humorous twist on the old slot-machine all-or-nothing gamblings story. By the end of the sketch, the bewildered gambler had not only lost money, but his clothes and his hat! A favourite sketch with the children in the audience was one called Cockroaches, depicting 3 of the crawling bugs in a cupboard at night. Simple capelike costumes, with extended geometric eyes and mouth (complete with protruding tongue), and a block of sugar were the only props used. Lighting and sound completed the scene. As the cockroaches were enjoying their newly discovered meal, the music of Jaws was heard. Then a spotlight found the culprits and the hissing sound of a spray can (RAID!) put a dramatic end to them. Paul Gaulin, Rick Van Tassel, and Carmen Orlandish created a rather informal atmosphere for the performance, by announcing the

upcoming sketches themselves. They demonstrated some of the techniques used in mime, explaining some of the difficulties is perfecting the techniques. My favourite was an abstract piece utilizing dance movement, called Morning Glory. The pièce was graceful and flowing, as it depicted the flower greeting the morning sun. Only small problems were evident, as the members occasionally lost their balance. Moebius' technique can best be explained as exploratory. Mime was emphasized, and simple but effective costumes were sometimes used to create a sense of movement, while at other times, precisely synchronized movements were made, signalled only by the voice of Gaulin, to create variations on an abstract theme. The only demand made on the audience was the participation of an active and creative imagination. □ Deedee Prenger.

Gaulin mime mesmerizes crowd Mime - the art form that evolves according to the artist - brought a beauteous generosity to Edmon-

ton Friday night. The occasion - Summer Fest. The mime company - Paul Gaulin, director, and Nikki Tilroe and Jay Fisher. This was a performance that related and was integrated directly with the venue. Summer Fest happens at a stage in a park in the middle of a city. It’s free. Therefore, the audience is the proverbial polyglot. So it's safe to assume many of the Friday night people sitting in the grass in front of the stage hadjiever seen mime before. So it was with quite a lovely attitude of sharing, that the Gaulin troupe sent individual members to centre stage betwixt sketches. There, they demonstrated the various imageries possible with everything from water to a rope, to being inside a glass box. Over-all, the troupe's attitude, gesture and movement reflected the freedom that comes from mastering the essential and omnipresent discipline. The program sampled intriguing Gaulin variations. One depicted a boy and girl and teacher at different times of their lives - grade one, eight, 12 and five years after. Props, ingeniously crafted, enhanced the corporal art. And it had to be a delightful sense of humor that created acne - red flashing lights - that was fun! The politics of the educational system and society in general allow us to watch as all three trap themselves into the rote routine of those who never see out the window. In contrast, there was an entrancing abstract routine, performed by Gaulin and Fisher. Garbed in black, the arms delineated with florescent paint and bathed in a blue spotlight, moved in a symphony of synchronization. At once, they were working with each other, then alone, then almost in opposition. But never to the point of disharmony with themselves or the other arms. Sometimes, they were pairs, sometimes singles, sometimes one. But always, there was a unity. □ Lasha Morningstar.