Imagine waking up for the first time. You haven’t been asleep, but you haven’t been awake either. No one around you notices. What is different? What has changed? Will this society cast you out as defective? Can you return? And even if you do return, will it be what you remembered? Devon Healey’s Rainbow on Mars is a multi-sensory masterpiece blending dance, sound, text, and design into a singularly unforgettable experience. Co-directed by Nate Bitton and Mitchell Cushman, and choreographed by Robert Binet, Rainbow on Mars is unlike anything you’ve encountered before.

There’s a level of thoughtfulness and attention to detail that I’ve come to expect from an Outside the March production, but they’ve truly gone above and beyond for Rainbow on Mars. This production is able to be fully enjoyed by both sighted and blind audience members alike: there’s an audio program available to be listened to, the logo and title of the play on the program are raised and can be felt, and The Voice in the show fully and beautifully narrates the actions so that anyone can experience it. The new chairs they’ve purchased, and had monogrammed with their logo, are plush and comfortable, but also vary in height allowing for a set up where everyone can see without having to duck around one another. Along with Peripheral Theatre and The National Ballet, they have created a truly inclusive space; there’s an immediate feeling of belonging and safety which they have clearly worked hard to facilitate. Huge kudos to this amazing team – your efforts have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

Have you ever touched a show? Really felt it? Felt elements of the set as you enter into the space through a velvet tunnel of light and dark? Rainbow on Mars begins the moment you cross the threshold into the theatre, so take your time – explore, feel, listen to the poetic descriptions which echo above your head before you take your seat. When you enter the space, there’s a massive chandelier-like object which hangs from the ceiling, glimmering in the light. The shiny chains and beaded fabric which covers the intertwining rings of the outer ring are two of the objects which you can experience in that initial tunnel into the theatre; so even if you can’t see it, you can know what they feel like. Nick Blais’ design is elegant in its simplicity, allowing for the descriptions and our imagination to help fill in the space around his beautifully crafted set. Anahita Dehbonehie’s costumes play with colour and texture to create a world of their own, with sound-wave type patterns making their way into every garment. Heidi Chan’s sound design also gets to take a more prominent role as the soundscape elements are essential to both how the story is told and the accessibility which this production centres on.

Rainbow on Mars takes Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and combines it with both a piercing look at our tech-obsessed culture and the realities of going blind. Our heroine begins in a cave as a slug-person who only looks at her phone and the images on the wall. It is only once she craves something more, hears and sees other sighs that she leaves the cave only to discover she can no longer fully see. She’s then poked and prodded at by doctors, attempted to be sold “helpful” technologies by The Techies, and finally meets another blind person, Arlo, who’s shut themselves away from society, only accompanied by their own negative thoughts (deemed The Sads). Our heroine strives to get back to the cave, to the simplicity and comfort of her device and the images it produced, but even when she meets Lynk (who can freely move between worlds) she’s worried that she won’t be able to return to her former existence. This is truly a journey of self-acceptance and discovery, not just for Iris (our heroine) but for Lynk and Arlo as well.

Healey gives an exquisite performance as Iris; her passion and vulnerability are part of the magic that is Rainbow on Mars. Her husband, and one of the co-directors, Nate Bitton deftly takes on the role of Lynk, providing a fun swagger and Gandalf-like all-knowing aura to his character. Elliot Gibson’s Arlo is feisty and witty; a perfect foil to Iris’ uncertainty and inexpereince. Amy Keating, Sofia Rodriguez, and Danté Prince are the chorus, often acting as a single entity and even speaking in rhyming lines together. Their energies are so vastly different from the Lab Coats to the Techies, and yet they consistently come in with gusto! Vanessa Smythe narrates the action of the play as The Voice. Her soothing tone and constant presence make for an intriguing element to the production.

The dance corps consists of Luiz Anselmo, Tom Cape, Ryan Kao Cheng, Jackson Hazlett-Stevens, Yeju Jang, Karin Laldjising, Campbelle Malicse, João Massei, Heewon Moon, Celia Morrison, Felix Russell, and Miyu Tobata. These astounding performers become the joy and sadness Iris experiences throughout her journey, and bring such a beautiful element of movement and flow to the production. Their athleticism is beyond compare and the fully embody the elegance of Binet’s choreography. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented young dancers.

Rainbow on Mars is one of those shows that I knew was going to stick with me even before intermission; there’s something about the care that went into its creation, the rawness of the story itself, and the awe-inspiring presentation that swept me off my feet. Thought provoking themes, poetic text, and an emotional ending will have you talking about this story long after you’ve left the theatre.

Rainbow on Mars runs at the Ada Slaight hall in Daniels Spectrum until August 20. For more information and tickets, visit: https://outsidethemarch.ca/the-experiences/rainbow-on-mars/

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Cover Photo: Creator-performer Devon Healey in a production still from Rainbow on Mars. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

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