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Review
"Images of Youth," Out North Contemporary Art House By Anne
Herman "My mouth is open. I am silently screaming.... Will the world hear me?" These are powerful words, packed with universal feelings. But when they come from a child's mouth, they are particularly haunting. Emotions ran deep and swift Saturday evening at Out North Contemporary Art House. In "Images of Youth," 12 Anchorage adolescents explored their experiences living in the complex environments of young adulthood, America and Alaska in the 21st century. Their concert was the culmination of a three-week residency in Out North's Alaska Youth Project. Under the guidance of performance artist Jose Torres Tama and video artist Kelly Wilbur, the youths discovered their own voices and how to express them verbally, visually and musically. They also discovered how these self-expressions are colored, directed and even subsumed by the pressures of contemporary life, the media and external definitions of the American dream. That dream was the focus for feelings that were often cacophonous and edgy but filled with truth. For much of the program, the 12 tackled the contradictions inherent in our lives. A scene called "The American Dream" was particularly discordant and seemed to sum up the confusion many teens feel about their role in life. Standing in the dark, seven performers spoke disconnected lines of poetry one after another. A flashlight intermittently lit under each chin enhanced the verbal isolation. What the audience heard was seven stories told in alternating fashion to amplify their internal oppositions. Thus, the American dream became a blur of positives and negatives threatening to cancel each other out. This dissonance echoed throughout "Images of Youth." The performers continually expressed concern that their real selves -- their hopes, fears, dreams and worries -- would be drowned by society's demands that they be thin, pretty, clever and obedient. In "Love," for instance, blond-haired Laken Amberg went through an all-American gymnastics routine while pleading with the audience to take care of her fragile love. It was as if others' pride in her physical talents made any reciprocation of her affection unnecessary. Rana McLeary shouted her anger at a world deaf to her feelings as she paced the floor in "Silently Screaming." All the while, Summer Hamrick played a patriotic tune on the violin that slipped from melodious to noisome, reflecting McLeary's disturbing words. These raw emotions were exposed in front of a screen showing Alaska scenes interspersed with more urban milieus. American icons like the Statue of Liberty and McDonald's golden arches underscored the evening's dichotomy. The video ended, though, on a positive teenage note, with the kids hanging from trees, laughing and mugging for the camera. "Images of Youth" should be applauded for more than its passionate words and images. These youngsters showed courage in revealing their secret places, their personal stories. This touched a chord with everyone who saw and heard them, making for a strong evening of theater. Anne Herman holds a master's degree in dance and has been a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts dance program. |
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Narrative
|| Biography || 2003
Spring/Summer Residencies & Tour || Recent
Touring History |