On the largest scales, black hole mergers pluck notes on the fabric of spacetime itself, while vast pressure waves span galaxies over aeons. On the smallest, molecules and atoms vibrate trillions of times per second. And sitting squarely in between the gargantuan and the microscopic is humanity. Us. Why should we not suspect that sound is as profoundly fundamental to our existence as it is to the rest of the universe? Theatre Gargantua’s Dissonant Species, written by Heather Marie Annis and Michael Gordon Spence and directed by Jacquie P.A. Thomas, explores not only our relationship to sound and music, but our relationships to one another, and how maybe hope lies in the dissonance we experience, not just the harmony.
Through a series of vignettes and stories, Dissonant Species delves into the intertwining stories of five humans who are working and studying in the same University music department. One of the professors got bumped by someone on campus, and it’s not just the event itself which has startled him, but also the deep feelings of anger which it awoke inside of him. Meanwhile, two of his students, who are in a group project together, aren’t seeing eye to eye; one of them was raised in a conservative household, while the other assumes that he’s still kept those views despite no longer living at home. Their third group-mate attempts to keep things calm, yet it’s quickly pointed out to her that having no opinion about such matters is actually just a place of privilege. The other professor is navigating being a new mother, while also having to likely start her research all over again because her colleague was unwilling to take it over while she was on maternity leave. Throughout this story, we hear private moments of each character’s lives and their internal struggles, as we then witness how it’s affecting their interactions with others.
Yet there’s also a very scientific side to Dissonant Species. Throughout the piece we get to witness live sound experiments being performed on stage. Everything from making goop dance to aligning sand with sound to shattering glass; it made me long for the Science Centre and the fun I’ve had there toying with similar ideas. The kinetic sculpture which cuts across the back of the stage, a wave motion demonstrator, embodies the tensions and volume of each scene, flowing perfectly with the story. Though this piece focuses on things we can hear, the numerous visual demonstrations of the physical power of sound are a reminder that the Deaf community is not excluded from this world.
This truly ensemble cast brings their A-game in so many ways to this production. With everyone playing multiple instruments as well as telling their character’s story with both words and movement pieces; they’re truly a marvel. Co-creators Heather Marie Annis and Michael Gordon Spence, along with Malia Roberts, Nicholas Eddie, and Hannah Sunley-Paisley each take on their unique roles with tenacity while also working beautifully together.
One such movement section occurs in the final moments of the play; the group is going through the same physical movements as they have in the past, but this time there’s more vocalization. The notes start off quietly, but with each member who joins in the sound swells. As the voices crescendo into their final dissonant chord, the entirety of the play somehow comes into focus. A study in human nature and how we communicate with one another, both physically and with sound, Dissonant Species is able to show the beauty in the discord.
Dissonant Species runs in the Factory Theatre Mainspace until November 23. For more information and tickets, visit: https://theatregargantua.ca/productions/mainstage-cycles/dissonant-species/
Cover Photo: Nicholas Eddie, HannaH Sunley-Paisley, Michael Gordon Spence, Heather Marie Annis, and Malia Rogers. Photo by Michael Cooper.
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