Muse: An Experiment in Storytelling and Life Drawing
Created by Cameryn Moore
Produced by Little Black Book Productions
45m
Content warning: Nudity
By Stephanie Wobensmith
Gliding my charcoal across the thin drawing paper, I added a few careful lines and accentuated the ovals and squares that served as the core of my drawing. I haven’t participated in a drawing class since my grade-school days, but somehow the form on the page was taking shape into something resembling the model taking centre stage.
Our muse was explaining how she found herself in Berlin, the intricacies of the life-drawing world, and how she got involved with performing at the Ottawa Fringe. We all worked on our sketches and asked questions, finding out more about our muse as the life-drawing session continued.
Built with honesty, accessibility, and approachability in mind, Muse: An Experiment in Storytelling and Life Drawing was a refreshing break from more traditional theatre shows at the Ottawa Fringe Festival this year. Being an active participant in creating art during the show made it feel a bit like a master class for life drawing—one that was open to all skill and experience levels. Our muse was wonderful at explaining the basics of a typical life-drawing session while allowing us the freedom to explore at our own pace.
Getting to know our muse throughout the story-telling aspect of the show added both depth and accessibility to the performance, allowing the humanity of life drawing to fully shine through and providing additional ways for audience members to get involved.
Part show and part artistic workshop, Muse: An Experiment in Storytelling and Life Drawing is an innovative opportunity to fully engage with these two creative practices. No drawing experience is necessary. All you need is a bit of curiosity and an interest in interacting with art in a truly unique way.
Muse: An Experiment in Storytelling and Life Drawing is playing at ODD Box until June 25. Visit ottawafringe.com/fringe/ for the schedule and box office info. Read more reviews at https://apt613.ca/category/festival/fringe/.
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