Affair of Honor offers furious fun in Playthings at PHT, April 8 to 17

The fight- and movement-based theatre and performance company livestreams a daring tale of mortals and gods

The cast of Playthings in a photo collage by April MacKillins Photography — The cast of *Playthings* in a photo collage by April MacKillins Photography

Presentation House Theatre presents Affair of Honor’s Playthings, livestreaming in real-time April 8 to 17

AFFAIR OF HONOUR of Honor is a Vancouver fight- and movement-based company that trains in the art of performance combat, ensemble building, and physical theatre. Currently in residence at Presentation House Theatre, the group cultivates stories with strong femme-identifying leads.

Consider Playthings, which Affair of Honor cofounders, Nathania Bernabe and Jackie T. Hanlin, set amid the onslaught of the Trojan War. As tensions between Greek gods reach a peak, Ares and Athena, two gods of war, vent their frustrations by playing with the lives—and sanities—of two mortal warrior queens.

The work, which ran at the 2019 Edmonton Fringe Festival, has a range of fight styles mixed in with fiery exchanges of words and swords. It’s a structure that called for inventive retooling with the original cast for the pandemic-era livestream.

From distancing in stage combat to blocking choreography to avoid contact, the re-creation led to the development of a new movement vocabulary for the team and the exploration of non-contact storytelling.

For tickets and information, head to Presentation House Theatre .

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Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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