The final production of Theatre Passe Muraille’s season is certainly a unique one! Trace was co-created by Tristan R. Whiston (also the performer) and Moynan King (also the director) and was initially conceived as an art installation in 2012. Now a full theatrical performance, this one-of-a-kind experience is something you won’t want to miss!

Trace is an audio/visual presentation which chronicles the transition of the creator and performer, Tristan R. Whiston. All of the voices which are heard throughout the performance are Tristan’s from various points in his life. The harmonies Whiston creates with their voice are beautiful; layer upon layer of haunting, beautiful sound. Accompanied by projections of both archival video footage and images reflecting the sound itself, the experience becomes fully immersive. There are multiple areas showcasing the projections and the speakers are set up all over the room, so you truly are surrounded by the sounds and images. Alongside this, Tristan tells anecdotes about their life, transition, and how this piece came about. Joining Tristan on stage at the end of the performance is The Epic Choir of Traceland: a group of incredible singers whose performance gives the show a glorious and fitting end. I’ve had Sail Away stuck in my head ever since.

I was in awe of the fact that Tristan was willing to share all of this with the world. Not only did they have the forethought to record themselves during their transition, but then to share so openly about it and in multiple forms of media is astounding to me. This is such a personal journey, and so to invite us all in is amazing, and I feel grateful to have witnessed it.

The other unique element to this production is the interactive portion. Inside the little beach huts on stage is a tape recorder, a mirror, and two pages of prompts. Before and after the performance, audience members are encouraged to go into one of the booths and record their own voice by answering some of the prompts. It is the perfect compliment to the production and I hope that Tristan has a great time listening to everyone’s little testimonials afterwards.

Trace truly is an experience unlike anything I’ve done before. This moving production lets us into a very intimate experience in the best possible way: through art. I truly hope you’ll take the time to check out this incredible show before it closes April 30th. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.passemuraille.ca/22-23-season/trace/

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Tristan R. Whiston and The Epic Choir of Traceland – Photo Credit: Henry Chan