Beautiful bruisers
ROUGH TUMBLE: Roller Derby crotch shot by Susan Moss
It all started back in the 1930s, when the world realized what we now hold as a universal truth: marathon skating is impressive, sure, but it ain’t no blood sport. The first roller derbies were endurance races, but it was the pushing and shoving that got the most attention—as well it should, when it involves sexy women in short skirts.
With a rough and tumble roller derby revival now up to speed, this summer saw local ladies getting their kicks on quads for capacity crowds. “I like it because it’s about tough, strong, independent, hot chicks of all shapes, sizes and ages,” says photographer Susan Moss, who’s no stranger to spills and chills as a Bifteck barmaid. At Blizzarts this month, her shots of Montreal Roller Derby League action feature front-row attractions: flashes of fishnets, mouthguards, colourful crotches and full-contact mishaps.
“When I was a kid, I lived on my rollerskates—my house was carpeted and there were lots of stairs but I always stayed on them,” Moss recalls. So what would it take to get her on the track? “More balls.”
Roller Derby opens tonight, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at 3956a St-Laurent, (514) 843-4860.
by SARAH MUSGRAVE
Girls, guys and god
Renee, the protagonist of Dating Jesus, is a lapsed Catholic who is still looking for salvation, but these days, the single mother is more likely to seek it through the poetry she writes or the men she beds. Most of the time, she’s just trying to keep it together.
“It’s a wonderful combination of the comic and the dramatic,” says director Paul Hawkins about Louise Arsenault’s new play. “It’s very funny, but there are also real problems that emerge in her life.”
Although men are the cause of much of the comedy and the drama in the piece, they do not appear. This world premiere from Unwashed Grape gives the floor to four women. Rising star Taylor Baruchel joins Debra Kirshenbaum and Laura Mitchell (both seen last year in Two Short Women and The Wall by Ann Lambert); the production also reunites Mitchell for the first time in years with her Titters collaborator, Janis Kirshner. Dating Jesus runs, Nov. 6–18 at Théâtre Ste-Catherine, (514) 284-3939.
by AMY BARRATT
Bob Loblaw returns!
Fans of Montreal’s madcap cabaret scene will have fond memories of Skidmore  and her lounge lizard drag king persona, Bob Loblaw. The voice of Bob joins those of Alexis O’Hara, Gigi L’Amour, Pipi Douleur, Stephen Lawson, Aaron Pollard and Jon Anderson on Skidmore’s new CD, A Shrinking Violent. “It’s an East-meets-West audio cabaret,” Skidmore explains.
Based on her adventures in Northern Bali, the CD features Skidmore’s picaresque tales interwoven with field recordings, classical Balinese music, and an original score by Lesbians on Ecstasy member Jackie Gallant.
“In terms of the woven storylines, potheads beware, because it is definitely a challenging work,” says Skidmore. “I’m using conventions of storytelling, of spoken word, of mythology and it gets a little dense.”
The CD is being launched tonight (Nov. 1) at Oboro Gallery (4001 Berri), from 5–7 p.m. Skidmore will be introducing selections, there’ll be some special guests, and a video presentation by Dayna McLeod.
by VINCENT TINGUELY
Remembrance dance
For the past month, Vancouver-based choreographer-dancer Crystal Pite has been touring with her company’s award-winning work Lost Action, which touches on the ephemeral nature of dance. “I wanted to work with the idea of loss and disappearance as it relates to the dancing body,” says Pite before stepping into class. “Our work is always being destroyed as we work.”
When Pite started working on the piece two years ago in Montreal, it was Remembrance Day, which got her thinking about veterans losing their memories and their stories. “I wanted to draw parallels,” she explains. So she incorporated the idea of conflict, and researched by reading letters written by her great-great-uncle during the First World War.
The 75-minute piece for seven dancers, including Pite, is mostly choreographed with “windows of improvisation” and set to a soundtrack by long-time collaborator Owen Belton. Tickets are going fast, but extra shows have been added at Agora de la danse (840 Cherrier) Nov. 1–3 and Nov. 14–17 at 8 p.m. nightly, $18–$26. Info: (514) 525-1500.
by MARITES CARINO
Is it art?
ABSTRACT EXPRESS YOURSELF: If you’ve ever seen a piece of abstract art—or more specifically a piece by Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock—and thought, “I can do that,” now you can.
 Named after the American painter, jacksonpollock.org, allows you to try your hand at Pollock’s “drip” technique without taking your hand off the mouse. Moving it over your screen, adding pressure and clicking, all allow you to change the direction, line-width and colour of work of art you’re creating.
Though it may seem like a fly-by-night idea, about as permanent as an Etchasketch, it apparently serves a higher artistic purpose. Designed by Greek-born, London-based artist Miltos Manetas, the site is part of the NEEN art movement, which champions Web-based and digitally created art. Manetas himself has built a career on creating entire Web sites used to subvert “legitimate” artists and exhibitions (check out whitneybiennial.com, a fake site created to challenge the 2002 exhibit).
Test the theory that Internet “drip” paintings are as worthy an art form as any other and make your own at www.jacksonpollock.org.
Arts
hole
DUEL TONGUES: Bilingual magazine Livraison is launching its eighth issue “Traduire/Translating” with video screenings, a full-wall installation of pages from the journal and a live performance from Elfin Saddle, this Friday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. Studio Ernest-Cormier (3460 St-Urbain). • NOTED: Newly opened bed and breakfast/art studio La Loggia (1637 Amherst) has it’s official kick-off tomorrow Nov. 2 from 6–9 p.m. with “Dance Me a Note,” an artistic event with paintings by Chrissy Cheung, sculptures by Joël A. Prévost and music by DJ Seb Fauteaux.
Artistat
Number of years since the Patriote Rebellions, in which commoners rose against the governing bodies, leading to the creation of a United Canada and celebrated at Pointe-à-Callière with their Patriotes vs. Loyalists exhibition: 170 |
