Wrinkles...Grace in Time
A Dance/Theatre piece created by Pam Kuntz

UPDATE: An appreciation from John Sylvester - This tribute did my heart good. Thank you, John!

WrINkLES
Firehouse Theater, 10/9/2009

This performance allowed you
To display with grace and honesty
The essence of your usually selfless,
Private lives in a dancing photo album
You shared bravely with your community
And with your loved ones
Who witnessed it.

This performance encouraged you,
The other cast members, and, symbolically,
Women everywhere and always,
To expose and release pain,
And, of most importance,
To honor all those people
To whom, and to the likes of whom
The show pays tribute;

Though they could not be here to behold
This rich performance,

By permanently residing in your hearts,
They did, in fact,
Create it.

 

To the women of Wrinkles,
Thank you and congratulations,
From your community,

John Sylvester
10-9-2009

Oct 1,2,3,8,9,10 at 7:30 PM and Oct 4,11 at 2:00 PM
Firehouse Performing Arts Center
1314 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven
Tickets $12.00 at Village Books or at the door the evening of the show.
For information contact Pam at 360-510-4711
Photos of "Wrinkles" project:
http://www.suzannefogarty.com/ageprojectimages/ (about 37 on shows the 5 women)

Here's the Cascadia Weekly's article about Wrinkles.

Five women ages 71-87 share their stories in a celebration of aging on the weekends of Oct 1-4 and 8-11 at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center. Wrinkles is the fifth of a series of movement based theatre pieces by Pam Kuntz that explore the stories of local community members. This year’s performance includes dancers Paige Fredlund and Sarah Schermer (recent Western graduates), and community members Barbara Sylvester, Noemi Ban, Dorothy Regal, ynnette Allen, and Marge Moench who join Kuntz in generating an evening that celebrates aging using movement, music, photography and poetry.

The 60 year age gap between the subjects of the performance and the young performers has stimulated powerful explorations of what it means to live during a war, find freedom as a woman, and dance with abandon. The performance reveals what it means to feel young at any age. The dancers also respond to issues resulting in paralyzing vulnerability and extraordinary strength, issues shared by all of the women in the production.

Prepare to rock with the Beatles, shuffle off to Buffalo, and Polka with these women as they share how they have landed and are living in these, the best years of their lives.

 

More appreciations for Wrinkles

Written by an 18 year old male

Wrinkles: A Grace in Time

If you turn your television set to MTV, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of current-day music videos. Attractive women wearing little clothing will most likely be "grinding" up against men, who will probably have chiseled abs and a charming smile. Despite many beliefs, this is not a true form of dancing but rather a new form of movement in time. In Pam Kuntz's Wrinkles, a history of movement through time is conveyed through five touching stories. These stories are based on and around the lives of five unique dancers, whose ages seems to strengthen the meaning of time itself. Dorothy, Lynette, Marge, Noemi, and Barbara show us that dancing can and does continue throughout life.

I have things that I would call my hobbies, and I have things that keep me interested throughout the day. I am not afraid to say that one of these things that always seems to keep my attention are women. In Dorothy's story, she activates the audience with her experiences with men. No music is needed in this scene, just her moving words. Although her age may make some see her views differently, I could strangely relate to her stories. She started by telling of her younger days of lust and mischief with the opposite sex. Speaking in a soft but catching tone, Dorothy kept the audience close with her humor and wit. As she continued with her stories, the laughs diminished. She told us of her marriages, both the good and the bad times. She told us of how she lost her first husband, but learned to love again. Dorothy's story made me think of my parents and their divorce, but it also made me think of my future relationships and opportunities with women.

When I came to the Firehouse, I was not expecting to have my hearts thrown up in the air, and then smashed back into my chest. Lynette's story hit me so hard I could hardly come to terms with it. The lights opened the stage to a path of shoes. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would she try them on? Would she rearrange the path as the story unfolded? The subtle movements of the scene made the difference to me. She told of how her children were in their youth. She expressed their lives and growth simply through her body language and movements. She waved to them as they were shipped across to fight for their country, and hugged them dearly as they safely returned. I have never lost anyone close to me, and I hope that the day won't come for a long time. As she waved goodbye once again, the lights darkened and I knew something was going to happen. As her hopeful face changed, I felt my heart begin to race. When she dropped to her knees, I felt as if someone had torn me up inside. We all knew what happened, but none of us wanted to believe it. I can't imagine losing a loved one, let alone my own child. Lynette's story opened my eyes and made me appreciate all of those who have lost loved ones in times of war.

Don't let Marge's size fool you, because she is full of courage and confidence. Watching her dance across the room inspired me and gave me hope. With every step, I felt that I had a better understanding of her life. Obstacles stood in her way, but she always seemed to put her head down and conquer them. Her bare feet stomped around the floor with both power and finesse. People would try to slow her down, but she wouldn't let it get to her head. This made me think of my own life. We've all been pushed around and forced to do things we didn't want to do. Marge's story didn't need words to express the meaning of her dance. I could easily relate to Marge, which made it that much easier to watch and enjoy.

The second the violin began to play, I knew Noemi's story would be based on the Holocaust. I have met a few survivors, but I have never been moved like I was when watching Noemi's dance. She told us of how she was only a small girl when she was taken. She told us of the tiny details of the camps, which made the story even more horrifying and moving. As Noemi told us more and more, I tried harder and harder to hold back my emotions. When she shared her last memories of her mother and father, I couldn't stop myself and let the tears roll down my cheeks. She didn't move much at all, but she didn't need to. The somber music and Noemi's face seemed to add power and meaning to the story. I felt strangely attatched to her the more she told of her experiences in the camp. At the end of the story, she expressed how she felt lucky and thankful to be alive and where she is today. Seeing her optimism after all of these years gave me hope and made me realize my problems and how lucky I truly am.

I think that Barbara's dance was the perfect ending to Wrinkles. Never in any of the other dances was the theme of time so evident. She danced as she would have when she was my age, causing the audience to erupt in laughter and reminiscence. She seemed so happy and comfortable on stage that she grabbed the audience quickly and effortlessly. As her dance progressed, the presence of the other dancer began to increase as well. I wasn't sure what this meant at first. Why is Barbara's dancing so aged, while the other's was so young? I soon realized the point. Even though the time periods differ greatly, both dancers could enjoy and appreciate one another. This to me summed up Wrinkles and gave me a satisfied feeling of understanding.

There were many themes in Wrinkles, but the one that I saw most frequently was love. In each and every dance there were connections to be made. Dorothy showed her love through the opposite sex, while Lynette showed us her life through her loved ones. Marge found her love through persistence and courage, while Noemi realized her love for life through bravery and Barbara through her love for the arts. As I scanned the audience, I was surprised to see so many wrinkled faces. Despite the differences, all seemed to express the same feelings and understandings that were inside of me. I drew many conclusions to the dancers and their stories, yet only one to the piece as a whole. Wrinkles helped to show me the beauty of age and the love that persists throughout life.

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