Upintheair Theatre presents The Array: An Exquisitely Sensitive Machine at What Lab, October 26 to 28
Lineup features The Library Performance Collective, Jarin Schexnider, Tamar Zehava Tabori, and Upintheair Theatre
SPONSORED POST BY Upintheair Theatre
The Array: An Exquisitely Sensitive Machine.
Upintheair Theatre presents The Array, featuring new works riffing on the cosmic theme An Exquisitely Sensitive Machine, from October 26 to October 28 at 7:30 pm.
Returning with its fourth installment this fall, The Array spotlights four micro-shows melding contemporary performance art, dance, and theatre. The eclectic works are presented at What Lab, an arts incubator and warehouse space in East Vancouver.
An Exquisitely Sensitive Machine references the surprising discoveries of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope—the world’s premier space science observatory—which has been in operation since 2021. Continuing the research of Hubble and Spitzer telescopes, it is currently studying one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). New observations by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) are providing crucial clues to understanding how a supernova develops over time to shape its remnant.
As a result, this high-tech, earth-orbiting instrument is shifting humanity’s collective view of the cosmos, allowing folks to peer back in time when the universe was still in its infancy. It is a triumph of human knowledge, intelligence, and exploration.
Jarin Schexnider.
Collectively, the teams of artists in The Array create works that challenge people’s understanding of space and technology. Featured talents include Arthi Chandra, Alexandra Caprara, and Howard Dai of The Library Performance Collective; Jarin Schexnider with Miguel Maravilla; Tamar Zehava Tabori with Amber Downie-Back and Angus Steele-Gaffney; and David Mott, Andrea Joy Rideout, and Sarah Roa of Upintheair Theatre. The event is produced by Mott, who is also co-curator alongside Schexnider.
In astrophysics, an array is a group of satellites and telescopes that can be trained on a single phenomena to provide a more detailed, nuanced, and multi-dimensional understanding of the subject than could be gained by a single instrument. The Array proposes artists as telescopes.
Upintheair Theatre’s cosmic-themed performance series debuted in 2019 with The Array: The Shape of the Galaxy, which was presented at The Greenhouse with Elysse Cleadle, Erika Mitsuhashi and Francesca Frewer, Theatre Conspiracy, and Upintheair Theatre.
The next edition, The Array: First Contact, was an online presentation in 2020 featuring House of Rice, Hunters, Tricksters & Mystics, Popcorn Galaxies, and rice & beans theatre. Last year’s The Array: Beyond the Knowledge of Humankind was also staged at What Lab, with new works by A Wake of Vultures, Art Action Earwig, and Upintheair Theatre.
Tickets to this year’s edition, The Array: An Exquisitely Sensitive Machine, are available here for a pay-what-you-choose price.
Post sponsored by Upintheair Theatre.
Tamar Zehava Tabori. Photo by Yaara Eshet