Liana Angelucci
Managing Editor
This Clement World, presented by The Theatre Centre, is a fascinating and extremely multi-faceted tale that involves an array of talent and hard work on behalf of all the working members, including Director D.J. Mendel and Designer Jeff Sugg.
Cynthia Hopkins uses her vocal and story-telling abilities to showcase something visually and audibly wonderful. Hopkins takes the audience with her on the same journey she, herself, took to sail on a boat with twenty-one strangers from all walks of life, who share a common goal: to preserve the Earth.
Through the use of a minimalistic set and a huge band, Hopkins is able to share a tale of beauty and wisdom, all while weaving in and out of different characters, who each have a different message to spread. The band provides a medley of harmonies and it brings life to an otherwise ominous tale. Cynthia Hopkins uses her beautiful singing voice and her talent for speaking with various accents to provide the audience with a tale that, while interesting and humorous, reminds the audience of the harsh reality that surrounds the human race if we do not begin to truly take care of our Mother Earth.
The almost-hidden band performs the beautiful and mesmerizing music, written and composed by Cynthia Hopkins, which truly captivates the attention of the audience; it forces spectators to be immersed in the world of the show and to listen to the message being portrayed.
The use of lighting and computer animations to show various landscapes of the Earth truly brings the piece together, and serves as a reminder that the beauty of the world surrounds us every day, though we are too selfish to truly appreciate it.
This Clement World is an intriguing and captivating show, and its message is loud and clear. Though the irony of using electronics and lighting to portray the message seems like it defeats the purpose, perhaps this is the point. Maybe the only way to reach people, regarding environmental issues, is to reach them through media – a means of communication our society knows so well – in order to show them exactly why they need to change their ways. Perhaps Cynthia Hopkins knew that all along.
This Clement World is playing at The Great Hall Black Box Theatre, 1087 Queen St West, Toronto, until February 2, 2014, so get your tickets while you still can!!! Tickets are $30, ($25 for Artsworkers and Students), and can be purchased online at http://tickets.ticketwise.ca/event/thisclementworld or by calling 416-538-0988. For more information about the show, the wonderful organizations helping the Earth’s environment and our future generations, or to donate to this worthy cause, visit theatrecentre.org.
photo credit: Jeff Sugg
featured in photo: Cynthia Hopkins