Remount of Dissocia at Open Ears Festival

[Robin Atchison]

UW Drama Presents DISSOCIA at Open Ears

This multimedia production, written by Adam Cowart, directed by Andy
Houston, with music and sound by Nancy Tam, film and video design by Mark
Walton, scenography and design by Scott Spidell, has emerged from the
research undertaken by a group of dramaturgy students at the University of
Waterloo and will be presented at 29 King Street East (downstairs) on April
28, 29, 30 and May 1 at 5pm.

DISSOCIA examines the role that addiction plays in the 'performance' of
everyday consumerism. The title refers to dissociative states of being and
what happens when a person compartmentalizes his or her life into various
activities so that addictive, abusive or other unethical activity is
effectively concealed from the person's sense of self in the other
compartments. This is what happens when people become addicted to gambling,
shopping, sex, exercise, drugs, alcohol, work, and other activities - that
become diversions from self-awareness.

The show focuses on digital gambling addiction, but it approaches this issue
through the idea that gambling as an exploitative business is not unlike
other businesses that claim to provide entertainment - for a price.

Through the use of a soundscape and digital imagery, the play becomes part
reality, part reality TV and part mythology. We see the stories of a casino
owner and his son, two daughters of a gambler, and a woman who commits
suicide in the washroom of the casino while a staff member tries to 'help'.
There is a pronounced focus here on the root cause of addictive behaviour,
mostly in the absence of loved ones or other traumatic rupture, such as the
loss of a family member.

One of the most traumatic betrayals, based in part on a true story, is that
of a father whose gambling addiction leads him to exploit his youngest
daughter in order to serve his addiction.

This play examines how our society is slowly becoming addicted to immediate
gratification, delivered digitally to us in so many forms. This is DISSOCIA.

Seating is limited for this production, so get your tickets early. Visit or
call the Open Ears Box Office at 519.579.8564 or go to www.openears.ca.
Tickets are $20, $10 and $5 (eyeGO).

The creators of DISSOCIA wish to acknowledge the generous support and
guidance of Dr. Kevin Harrigan and the Problem Gambling Research Team at the
University of Waterloo. 

 

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