Mistress of puppets

Although she never played with puppets growing up, choreographer Marie-Julie Asselin has taken a liking to the art of puppeteering. "In my pieces, I've realized that I've always had a fascination with small manipulations of the body, like when someone takes another person's arm and moves it," she says. Her new work Conte de poussières weaves puppetry and dance into an original story. Asselin says, "What I find interesting is how to bring out the emotion of the puppeteer to create emotion in something that is inanimate."

Conte de poussières is a collaboration between Asselin, writer Karina Mancini and puppeteer Isabelle Veilleux, whose female puppet Ophélie questions her own existence. Asselin, who plays with the ideas of the manipulator and the manipulated, animates dancers Caroline Gravel and Isabelle Chevrier, who also narrate the performance. In addition, the audience is invited to participate in a discussion after each show. Conte de poussières opens this week at Tangente (840 Cherrier) and runs until May 9. Call 525-1500 to reserve tickets. » Marites Carino

Opium and porn

In honour of Mother's Day I went and saw Jean Cocteau: Enfant Terrible at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The large exhibition focuses mainly on his drawings, films and theatre work from the first half of the 20th century.

For his 1917 fantasy opera Parade, Cocteau brought together Pablo Picasso to make the sets, Erik Satie to write the score and Leonide Massine to choreograph the Ballets Russes. Through the many photographs and drug-fuelled self-portraits, we get a sense of the man who was openly gay when it was difficult to be such. The show has one special room filled with his pornographic drawings, of which I unfortunately only saw one before the security guard screamed, "Madame!" (Guess I have to return without the kids.) The ghosts of Pound, Coco Chanel, Warhol and many others from the last century's avant-garde surface throughout this enjoyable voyeuristic ramble through the life of an interdisciplinary wonder. It runs until Aug. 29. » Christine Redfern

Word play

While perusing the plays at last year's Fringe, Estelle Rosen, long-time host of CKUT's Upstage, was so taken by Harry Standjofski's genre-defying experimental work, No Cycle, that she decided to produce it herself. "The creative staging is amazing, there are dance movements, slides, there's mood, tempo and a haunting quality to the whole presentation," Rosen enthuses. Next Thursday, some of Montreal's greatest purveyors of the word are getting together to raise funds to stage No Cycle. Words @ Silencio features spoken word by Fortner Anderson and Ian Ferrier, and performances by all-round theatrical artist Anna Fuerstenberg, actor/ comedian Derick Lengwenus and the theatre troupe Mask On! Take it all in on Thursday, May 20, 8 p.m., 3645 Notre Dame W., $10. » Vincent Tinguely

Eye see dead people

It was a meeting with the son of a butoh master that propelled choreographer Lucie Grégoire to create her new work, Eye. The contemplative solo work, which examines her character's turbulent inner life, opens at L'Agora de la Danse (840 Cherrier) this week.

On a visit to Japan last year, Grégoire met dancer Yoshito Ohno, whose father Kazuo was a master in butoh, a Japanese form of dance founded in the mid-20th century. And it was after that meeting that they embarked on a creative voyage and Eye was born.

In the piece, Grégoire plays an androgynous being whose soul is marked by images of life and death, dancing along with a soundscape by electro-acoustic composer Robert Normandeau. The show runs every night at 8 p.m. until May 15. Call 525-1500 for tickets ($16–$23).» Marites Carino

Is it Art?

YOU'VE BEEN SERVED: Forget Cocktail and Coyote Ugly, the Absolute Bartending Institute's "Heir to Flair" competition is going down live, live, live downtown at Cheers (1260 Mackay) next week, testing the speed, artistry, choreography and cocktail quality of competitors from across Canada. After the qualifying round on Monday, May 17 (8 p.m.–midnight), eight finalists will go for the gold (or $500, $200 and $100 cash prizes) on Tuesday, May 18 (10 p.m.–midnight), with auction and raffle proceeds going to the Missing Children's Foundation. Looking to more established meets in Vancouver, Vegas and Florida, Absolute owner Chris Natale hopes this first annual, Smirnoff-sponsored event will put Eastern Canada on the creative bartending map.

ArtsHole

DER ROHE REVISITED: Regular or Super: Views on Mies van der Rohe, deemed best Canadian film at this year's International Festival of Films About Art, will be re-screened in English at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, May 15, 16, 22, 23 and 29 at 1 and 2:30 p.m., for $10 or $14 with access to the museum. • SHOCK AND EAUX: Finally, water and electronics unite at Eaux Arts Électroniques, a multimedia exhibit showcasing four local photographers who explore Montreal's love/hate relationship with our river. The Champ Libre presentation runs from May 19–22 (7p.m.–midnight), May 23 (2–9 p.m.) at 2000 St-Antoine E.

ARTISTAT: Number of dollars raised so far for the non-profit National Eating Disorder Information Centre through voluntary donations via Dove's touring photo exhibit, Beyond Compare: Women Photographers on Beauty (at Complexe Desjardins until May 16): $15,000

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