Wednesday, 23 June 2004
The past isn't very far away: Walking through Storyeum - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - Storyeum is a 104,000 square-foot history-themed attraction in the heart of Vancouver's Gastown. It is part underground theatre and part 'edutainment,' bringing the rich and storied history of British Columbia to life with the use of movie sets, actors, special effects and lighting. In effect, visitors to Storyeum are taken into the experience so dramatised.
Having gone through the facility twice, once before it was completed and a second time when the living museum had been in operation for a few days, it is a remarkable achievement envisioned by the producers; namely its president and CEO Danny Guillaume, whose Historical Xperiences, a Vancouver-based company developed the successful Tunnels of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. Highlighting and featuring history, and without a dime from the federal government or any other governmental scheme, is admirable as well as needed not only for the area (Vancouver's legendary Gastown, in the wake of the new convention centre being built in time for the 2010 Olympics), but also for the history that Storyeum demonstrates.
The sweep of history that the 70-minute exhibit captures is an extensive one, and it does so not from the traditional view of looking at the great men (they were usually men) of the time, but rather lively individuals who were of the era, making the times easier to relate to. You enter the exhibit by going into a round room, whereby the darkened space descends to the actual underground theatre. As it does, the walls around are illuminated by a soothing narrator seemingly leading the patrons, 199 at full capacity, into the exhibit. From the highlighting of the Coast Salish peoples and their traditions and customs, to a scene where the Native's naming ceremony for a young woman is brought to life by a grandmother passing on their heritage (not to mention her name) and the legend of the salmon of this coast; such scenes are often moving as well as an example of the necessity to honour the legitimacy of oral history. The sets for the two aforementioned scenes are first, a dark forest-like cavern whereby a young actor portrays the Native tradition of honouring and serving the land as well as utilising it, before handing off to a young actress who plays the young Native girl inheriting her Grandmother's legacy. The second set is a longhouse where legends are extended around a makeshift fire.
There's a lot of walking involved, getting from scene to scene, and there's a lot of standing, except in the longhouse, where the scene is taken in much like theatre-in-the-round. You are then met by an actor playing Captain James Cook, who leads the audience (somewhat like cattle) into a grand hallway where an audience with King George III is had (through voice only). Cook proposes for King and Country, a quest through the Northwest Passage so as to seize control of what would make up British North America.
The audience is next led to perhaps the most elaborate set, that of Captain Perez's ship Santiago, where standing on the ship's deck looks out to an amazing water effect whereby a torrential dump is poured, and much dramatisation occurs, from a ship's mate highlighting the land ahead to a loud and lively hunt of otters. The spectacular effects in this set include wind blowing and thunder claps to dramatise the conditions that were had on that 1774 journey.
Then we're greeted at stage left by one Billy Barker, whose presence signals a walk through to Barkerville, the BC town born out of the heat of the gold rush. The town set is lifelike enough with the strolling participation of a single English woman who arrives to settle in the region, a reverend of some sort, and a Chinese businessman attempting to assimilate himself in the largesse of the gold rush. His dreams, like that of Billy Barker and the town itself go up in flames and the audience is soon led into the story of Confederation and the completion of the national railroad. Sir John A. Macdonald appears, but the crux of the story of this era is told through one of the thousands of Chinese who work and die to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway. A 95% scale model of a train arrives into the next set, smoke and all. Then we're taken through a chaotic musical number where a young woman and pal highlight the growth of industry in British Columbia at the turn of the twentieth century. The number needs a bit of refining, as it is seemingly rushed at times. Also it's rather curious that in this penultimate scene, a Broadway-type number would be incorporated when that kind of song and dance was hardly common at the time, nor has musical theatre been used heretofore in the show.
Soon we're taken back into another round room, whose floor lifts us back to street level where we began. This swift progression back to the present is rather awkwardly hurried, by the use of images of the past that dissolve into video of the present make up and landscape of British Columbia.
The actors who portray the many characters you come across in the Storyeum exhibit are energetic enough to let their enthusiasm in their portrayals resonate with the audience that's smack dab in their performances. Though it isn't wholly interactive, the performers do well in involving the audience when need be, as well as have some hold on the patrons as they navigate through the crowd when playing out their scenes. Perhaps a playbill of the actors involved or a board at the front of the house naming them may be something producers may consider, as the performers do an admirable job.
On the Friday afternoon we went through the show, the sound was often spotty, making the dialogue garbled at times for the hard of hearing. This is perhaps due to the fact Storyeum was running on a truncated schedule, as well that it had been barely weeks following its delayed opening. It's wheelchair accessible, but for those who are handicap there are few times in the 70-minute show where sitting is an option. And when you aren't walking through to the next set and scene, there's often much standing. On the afternoon we went, there were many school aged children, as well as a few that were younger. There were wails of crying audible and that was perhaps thanks to the often darkened set that we were taken into, and the dramatics of the narrators and actors which may make young children uneasy. Perhaps Storyeum is best suited for those who are late elementary aged grades and beyond. The show we went to was full to the exhibit's 199-person capacity, yet getting through the sets wasn't uncomfortable, though there were often lengthy pauses in the flowing narrative so as to allow for the entire audience to transport itself and settle into the next scene. One suspects that those whose attention spans are hardly robust, that there may be some drop off when it comes to settling in quickly and attentively.
Nonetheless it is a unique and interesting experience, Storyeum. There is much to be learned for those less endowed when it comes to the knowledge of the history of this region. It portrays history in a new less traditional way, using non-traditional modes such as the use of oral history, not just 'book' history. Not to mention the innovative use of animated and lifelike sets that the audience travels through, as well as special effects which make the experience as authentic as possible. It is also comforting that the absence of governmental support, allows for an exhibit that portrays a version of history that at its best is devoid of an agenda. Storyeum is at once refreshing as it is effective in making it as inclusive as possible, to all peoples without much offence to those portrayed in the exhibit, and also those who have come to this land later.
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Storyeum is located in Vancouver's historic Gastown at 165A Water Street. Rates and times for shows can be found on their website: www.storyeum.com.
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Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .