Get a taste of city-style art when “The Colour of Apology” finds a home in Clarion University Little Theatre.
At 6:30 p.m. April 14, creators Kaersten Colvin-Woodruff and Gerry Trentham will lead a discussion about the piece, which will be performed at 7:30 p.m. April 18 in the Little Theatre. The performance is free and open to the public. Viewers are advised that the show will include some nudity.
The piece will also be the focus of a weeklong workshop for students in the art and theatre departments. Theater tech students will help with the set-up of the piece, and students in art and theatre classes will gain exposure to this type of art.
The installation is a collaborative project by art professor Kaersten Colvin-Woodruff and Canadian performer Gerry Trentham. “Apology” combines performance, sculpture and film to delve into the themes of the falling body and shame of the oppressed and the oppressor. As Trentham moves through the performance, he becomes one with the sculptures created by Colvin-Woodruff, working together to show the meaning of the “Colour of Apology.”
For Colvin-Woodruff and Trentham, “The Colour of Apology” is the result of three years of collaboration. The two artists found common interest in the subject of oppression and “the fear of the other.” Through many discussions and exploration, “The Colour of Apology” was born.
“Gerry Trentham wanted to create a piece with no agenda,” said Colvin-Woodruff, “This piece was made based off of conversation between the two of us. I would make the sculptures, then he would interact with them, and I would revise them if necessary.”
Colvin-Woodruff hopes the piece will give art and theatre students an understanding of how to create through collaboration of different media.
Anyone interested in watching the creative process unfold is welcome to observe the rehearsals of “The Colour of Apology,” which will be held at various times. Colvin-Woodruff said she envisions the Little Theatre as an “open-door workspace” during the week.
Clarion University is the high-achieving, nationally recognized, comprehensive university that delivers a personal and challenging academic experience.