One of the best live performances I’ve ever seen: an oversized drag queen impersonating Britney Spears, performing a striptease while shoveling Doritos into her mouth, blond wig askew, corn chip crumbs falling from mouth to ground. I was at an art opening in L.A., and Miss Britney was by far the main attraction. She had a ring of people cheering her on. We clapped for her irreverence, whistled for her “f-you” to the establishment and shouted gleeful encouragements for her brash baring of a big and beautiful body.
I haven’t been able to get that little number out of my head, even though a good chunk of time has passed. The reason? There was something both disturbing and liberating about watching one of Hollywood’s most candy-coated celebrity images be repatriated by one of mainstream society’s outsiders. (At that time, Britney hadn’t yet reached her shaved head stage.) I haven’t been able to find performance art like it since.
But I have a feeling that all of that is about to change during the 31st Rhubarb Festival, which kicked off on Wednesday night and runs until February 28 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. This festival is of a different kind than Fringe or TIFF. Rhubarb is all about taking risks and giving artists the space (physically and literally) to go cutting-edge. The fest combines performance art, dance, straight-up theatre and music for an offbeat hodgepodge of theatretainment. This is the spot where contemporary Canadian heavyweights like Sky Gilbert, Atom Egoyan and Anne-Marie MacDonald got their start, after all.
year’s run spotlights New York City talent, including the must-see Tragic Magic, cleverly touted as a “one-tranny” show. See star (pictured above) pull maneuvers similar to the bountiful Britney I had the pleasure of watching all those years ago, while simultaneously making you ponder your body and your past. And do not miss Neil Medlyn’s The Neil Medlyn Experience Live!, a one-night-only special happening tonight at 10pm. Neil has received rave reviews in New York, Portland and Austin for his reenactment of Beyoncé’s 2007 concert DVD special. There are a slew of shows running this weekend, so grab a week-long festival pass for only $25 and see it all. Of note: Saturday and Sunday, emerging young queer voices are tapped to perform their very own shows. Check out speak and A Bee Sees at 6pm and 6:30pm respectively. (But on Sunday, if you’re attached, share some chocolate and gaze lovingly into your significant other’s eyes before you head out for a Rhubarb-tinged Valentine’s Day theatre celebration.)
Rhubarb, as a plant, is eaten as a fruit, although it is actually a vegetable. It’s long and pink and pretty, although it tastes rather sour. You could say that it’s everything all at once, sort of like Rhubarb, the festival — disturbing and liberating, independent with a whiff of reference to the mainstream. LA’s Britney-inspired drag queens unite and commiserate: you have met your match.
For more details on the shows I mentioned, and everything else happening at Rhubarb this weekend, click here.
Leanne is an associate at Heenan Blaikie LLP. She spends her free time indulging in art, film, music and literature and swears that culture tastes better than chocolate. Her column appears every Friday here on lawandstyle.ca.