I arrived at the Historic Theatre dressed in layers, on a chilly evening in Vancouver. The agenda: to watch a crew of animal brethren perform a cabaret show called “The Cave”. On entering the theater, I got a sense that the show might subvert my expectations in unexpected ways. For starters, the stage arrangement was quite unorthodox. Band instruments – piano, cello, xylophones and a drum set – took up almost the entire stage space. A narrow, elevated platform on the right corner was emanating a bluish glow. There was no curtain separating the stage and the audience. The set was very minimal and organic – with a cave painting projected on the walls to accentuate the intimate ambience. My layers of clothing suddenly felt excessive in the warmth of the cave.
When the performance started, I felt immersed in the bear cave as if I was one amongst the many animals seeking shelter from a wild forest fire. I met a snake who spoke of her 77 babies, a workaholic beaver who had verged on denial about the dangers of the fire and many other ravaged animals with evocative stories about their land and home – the forest. The animals’ songs accompanied by the brilliant band stoked a range of feelings – the fear of being driven away from one’s home, the comical absurdity of preys and predators seeking refuge in the same shelter, the camaraderie borne from mutual suffering and the overwhelming grief of losing loved ones to catastrophic climate collapse. And then we got to meet the wonderful Grandma spider who shared her wisdom in Cree. Her message about interspecies unity in the garden of creation spoke deeply to the need to decolonize our relationship with Nature and Her Inhabitants, yes that includes us Humans too.
Being reminded of one’s mortality can have a jolting effect in setting one’s priorities straight. While exiting the theater, I realized that I got the incredible privilege of watching “The Cave” on Remembrance Day – a day meant to remember the sacrifices of war veterans. By centering the inhabitants of this planet who are conveniently forgotten in the grand charades of human caused wars, “The Cave” stirred my heart, motivating me to celebrate and nurture life in all forms and shapes. Advocating for climate justice and protecting the rights of the original stewards of this land will go a long way in preventing many more future battles for our very existence on this planet.
Get your tickets here!
– Annapoorna Shruthi