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10TuesdayFebruary102015NorthernvoicesampedthroughsevendaysofplaysNorthernPlayReadingSeriesasksaudiencetoreectonwritingsARTSCULTURETHEATREByMEAGANWOHLBERGSevendaysthatsallRenelttaArlukishop-ingitwilltaketoinspirestorytellersactorswritersandtheatreenthusiastsintheNWTtostartexercisingtheirvoiceswhenitcomestowhatsbeingwrittenabouttheNorth.TheNWT-bornstageactorandplaywrightisinYellowknifethisweekwithhercompanyAkpikTheatreslatestprojecttheNorth-ernPlayReadingSeriesaimedatputtingNorthernworkonstagewhilealsoallowingaNWTaudiencethechancetovetsouthernplaywrightsdepictionsoftheNorth.BetweenFeb.9and15amixoflocalandsouthernactorswillspendeachnightactingoutdifferentplaysattheYellowknifeArtistRunCommunityCentreARCCfollowedbyafrankdiscussionontheworksandachancefortheaudiencetovoteonwhichplaywastheirfavourite.Arluksaidtheinspirationbehindthese-riescamefromhercomplicatedexperienceworkingasacreativemigrantinthesouthandisdesignedtocreateadialogueonhowtheNorthisbeingrepresentedintheatreandwhatcanbedonetomakethosestoriesmoreauthentic.ForthemostpartIlikewhatImapartofbutsometimesIwishthestoriesthattheNorthareinspiringcouldbeheardbythepeoplethatliveintheNorthArluktoldTheJournallastweek.WhilethathasbeenpossibleonsomeoccasionsaswhenArlukandfrequentcollaboratorTiffanyAyalikofYellowknifewereabletoperformChristopherMorrisNightlastyearmostofthetimeArluksaidsheistheonlyNorthernindigenousper-sonintheroom.Thatrolecansometimesbedaunting.WhenItravelIfeellikeabitofanam-bassadorandItalkfrommyperspectivebutIknowthatweallhaveadifferentper-spective.SowiththesestoriesIhavemypersonalopinionsaboutsomeoftheseplaysbutImnotthebe-allend-allArluksaid.TheArctichasalwaysbeenafocusforCan-adaandIjustthinkweneedtostarthavingacollectiveconsciousnessaboutthatandwhostellingourstoriesandhowthosestoriesarebeingtoldandhowwecanstartrepresentingour-selvesintheartthathastodowiththeNorth.Theplaysproledintheserieswerese-lectedbyArlukanddramaturgdirectorJo-annaGarnkelandshowcaseabroadrangeofthemesexploredbytheatricalpiecesfromthe1930stothepresent.Imbringinginreallygoodactorsandhiringreallywonderfullocalactorstore-allyshowcasethequalityoftheworksoitisntjustpeoplereadingtheplaysitspeopleinterpretingthetextsoftheplaysandpre-sentingthemArluksaid.EachnightdealswithadifferentthemestartingwiththeconqueringoftheNorthandcoveringothertropeslikeisolationmysticismandviolenceamongplaysonthestarkrealitiesofclimatechangeandura-niummining.Wetriedtochoosethebestplaysthatre-allytouchonthethemestheNorthinhabitsandstrongwritingtomakeitinterestingtolistentoArluksaid.Audiencememberswillhaveachancetotalkabouttheplaysandvotefortheirfavou-ritesandArlukhascommittedtoturningthetoppickintoaproductionhercompanywillbringbacktotheNWT.ButasidefromcrowdsourcingforhernextbigproductionArlukhopestheserieswillinspireNorthernerstostarttellingtheirownstorieswhetherthatbethroughtheatreorotherforums.Iwouldlovenothingmoreshesaid.EverythingIdoisreallyforthatpurpose.TheNorthernPlayReadingSerieswillbeheldattheYkARCCFeb.9-15at7p.m.4p.m.onSaturday.Entryisbydonation.SingersevolvingvoiceperformsforYellowknifetraceusesonetransmansjourneytoencourageself-reflectionByDALICARMICHAELAttheageofsixTristanWhistonstarteddevelopinganangelicsopranovoiceatalenthelostwhenhestartedtakingtestosteroneonhisjourneyofphysicallytransitioningfromawomantoamanin2006.DuringthatrstyearoftransitionWhistonwasgivenasetofrecordinginstrumentsbytheCBCRadioprogramOutFronttochronologi-callycapturehistransformationbyrecordinghisvoiceasitdeepened.Lastweekheandperfor-mancepartnerMoynanKingvisitedYellowknifewheretheysharedsomeofthoserecordingsinhisinteractiveaudioperformancepiecetrace.IhadbeenasingerallmylifeandthenwhenIdecidedtokindofphysicallytransitiononeofthepiecesIwasmostconcernedaboutanxiousaboutworriedaboutorcuriousaboutwashowitwasgoingtoaffectmysingingvoiceWhistonsaidinaninterviewwithTheJournalbeforeperformingatanoldstorespaceinYellowknifesCentreSquareMallonFeb.6.MiddleCthenalproductthatcameoutofWhistonsrecordingsfollowsanarrativenav-igatedwhilebecomingamanfromthersttestosteroneinjectiontohisrsttimeshavingtochestreconstructionsurgery.ThepiecehaswoninternationalaccoladesandhelpedslateWhistonasoneoftheforemostLGBTQper-formersinthecountry.HoweverthemoreWhistonreectedontheautobiographicaldocumentarythemorehisperspectivechanged.Irealizedmyexperienceoftransitioningwasntactuallythatchronologicalhesaid.Ibegantothinkjustmoreabouthowourliveschangeandthenhowweactuallyintegratethedifferentpiecesofourliveslikewhowehavebeenandwhowearenowwithwhowearegoingtobecome.TheresultwastraceacollectionofWhistonsprogressivevoicesplayingsimultaneouslywithliveinterjectionsfromtheartist.Ihaveallthisrecordedmaterialofmyselfspeakingandsingingfromduringthischangefrombeforeandafter.IjustbegantotryandimagineapiecethatwaslessaboutanarrativestoryofIstartedhereandwenthereandmoreabouthowIactuallystandamidstallofmyvoicesallofwhoIvebeenandwhoIamandactuallytrytobringallthattogetherandalmostharmonizewithmyself.Theaudioisaccompaniedbyfootageofbeachscenesandoceanwaves.DatedstripedlinenchangingboothsareintegratedintothesetaswellwithanaestheticborrowedfromthelmDeathinVeniceWhistonnoted.TheimageoftheoceanandtheseaisafairlystrongmotifinthecontentintherawmaterialthatIwasworkingwiththeaudiohesaid.TwoofthesongsthatIsangalotduringthattransi-tionthatwereactuallytrackingthechangingofthevoicewereabouttheseaandtheocean.AtthetimeIusedthisimageofbeingononeshoreandsailingintothiskindofdangerousandunknownterritoryandbeingfarfrombothshoreswiththisideaofmalebeingoneshoreandfemalebeinganothershore.ItskindofametaphorIwasplayingwith.Thepieceismeanttobeinteractiveanden-couragestheaudiencetomoveabouttheroom.ItsnotatraditionaltheatrepieceinthatitsnotlikeyouregoingtocomeandsitandwatchsomethingunfoldWhistonsaid.Wetrytocreatemoreofanimmersiveexperiencewhereyoucomeinandtheseatsthatareavailablearewithinthese10speakers.Eachspeakerplaysadifferenttrackofadifferentcomponentofmyvoiceatalltimes.Housedinthestripedchangeroomsaresetsofaudio-recordingequipmentwheretheaudienceisinvitedtorecordtheirownvoicesontocassettetapestoreectontheirownex-periencesofchangeusingaseriesofprompts.ImusingaspecicexperienceImhavingbutwiththehopesofmakingitactuallymoreofauniversalexperienceWhistonsaid.Ev-erybodywhocomestotheshowprobablyhasnthadanexperienceofagendertransitionbuttheyprobablyhaveexperiencesofchangesandtransitionsintheirliveswheretheymightac-tuallysayWhoamIandwhohaveIbeenandhowmuchofwhoIvebeeninuenceswhoIamnowHowmuchofthatshowsthroughPhotoJProcktorPhotographyARTSCULTURETHEATREPhotoHenryChanRenelttaArlukstarsinherownplayTumitoneoftheworksbeingperformedinthisweeksNorthernPlayReadingSeriesinYellowknife.TristanWhistonatranssingercreatesmusicalcompositionsfromrecordingsofhisvoiceasitevolvedfromasopranotoanalto.HisstylingswerefeaturedinYellowknifelastweek.