Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Review: (Vancouver) Innocent When You Dream (Fringe)

Into the Belly
by David C. Jones
@iamdavidcjones

Call him Ahab, or Jonah, he can’t remember. He is has been in the belly of this whale for a long time with soggy crackers and only two books to read - Don Quixote and Moby Dick. He is thrilled to see you because his has been very lonely and bored. With the help of his puppet made from a sail, he re-creates the stories but his sentences jump about as his thoughts flit between lost love and meaning.


Zeb West has created a fantastic analogy for the broken hearted and it is told with such whimsy and creativity that it is a delightful experience. Even when he posits “What is the lower limit of your dignity” as he recounts his horrible break-up you are entranced and sympathetic. He is never maudlin.

In regards to a painful break-up his story is likely rooted in truth and if so he has enough distance to have some perspective and enough imagination to dress it in capriciousness. Innocent When You Dream tightrope walks between heartfelt pathos and playful imagination. Like Mr. West himself, it is charming. 

Innocent When You Dream is at the Vancouver Fringe
Read also: The Question...Zeb West

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