Feminism, indifference, and ignorance are a few of the
themes that run through war queer peace solo. The performer, Melissa Birch, goes through several different
characters as they relate to these themes. The characters each represent a
different perspective of these themes in modern society. As an added benefit, the
venue makes for a perfect backdrop to the peace aspect of the performance as it
is an outdoor garden at the Trident Booksellers and Café.
One particularly
beautiful part of the performance is when Birch sings; the songs act as a sort of
summation or transition from one character or topic to the next. Her voice, and
it is a lovely singing voice, juxtaposes the sometimes exaggerated characters
that precede the song. The characters are “exaggerated” in that they are
extreme examples of certain perspectives in society; the performance itself is
not at all exaggerated, but rather very honest and evocative.
While I did not
fully understand the reasoning behind the movement Birch uses throughout the
performance, it definitely adds a certain urgency to the points brought up in
the monologue. Following the performance, Birch sat down for a short Q and A
session with those in attendance and discussed the performance and some of its
themes in a little more detail.
-- Jessica Lave
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