The Arts
Z e n
Theatre group will close out Arts and Issues By JULIA BIGGS Of The Edge
T a l e s May 6, 2010
The 25th anniversary season of SIUE Arts & Issues comes to a close on May 15 when UMO Ensemble presents Zen Tales. This Seattle based theatre ensemble promises to stir the human spirit and incite the imagination as UMO monk clowns tell ancient Zen and Sufi stories through live music, masks, puppets and laughter. The UMO (Unidentified Moving Objects) Theatre history begins more than 20 years ago by a company committed to an ensemble of performers who create and compose their own productions. A creative process rooted in physical theatre, the ensemble’s basis for the creation and development of new works is made through improvisations in movement, character, vocalizing and writing. UMO Ensemble has created more than 20 original works for theatre and their material reflects a diverse range of style. Elizabeth Klob, UMO executive artist and director, explained that UMO Ensemble
was a “physical theatre.” “We use acrobatics, storytelling, mask, music – highly physical storytelling,” Klob said. The SIUE performance, Zen Tales, is one of “over 2,000 shows in the 22 plus years of UMO’s repertoire. This one in particular, not only are we revisiting it, we’re actually reworking it,” Klob said. “So we’re actually improving it, and making it a much more exciting show.” Zen Tales is based upon several ancient Zen, Sufi and Buddhist teaching stories that are then told through the eyes of European red nosed, monk clowns. ”It’s a funny show, and it’s very family friendly,” Klob said. “There are masks and aerial work and aerial tissue – kind of akin to what Cirque du Soleil does – we have aerial rope, a little bit of juggling, martial arts, acro-balancing. There’s stuff happening all over the place. So it’s basically this journey but told with these crazy clowns and it’s funny, it’s sweet and moving at times. There’s a lot of incredible physical feats in it as well.” Although UMO Ensemble has such a large
repertoire of shows to select from, Klob noted what she enjoyed most about the popular Zen Tales. “I think it’s episodic in nature in that they are vignettes,” Klob said. “I feel like it really does offer something for everyone. It’s just that every moment of the show offers a new opportunity to kind of engage in the theme. If for whatever reason, the first story doesn’t gel with you or speak to you, two minutes later you’ve got a new story, a new viewpoint or a different set of clowns giving you a different story. There are all these little different vignettes that weave together, and it’s kind of a visual feast.” C a t c h t h e U M O E n s e m b l e Z e n Ta l e s performance at either 2 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. on May 15 at the SIUE Dunham Hall Theater. Seating is limited. Tickets for the “UMO Ensemble Zen Tales” may be purchased online at www.siue. edu/artsandissues/ General admission is $27, SIUE staff, retirees, alumni or seniors 65 and older are $25 and student tickets are $13. If you have any questions, e-mail Grant Andree at gandree@ siue.edu or contact the Fine Arts Box Office in Dunham Hallat 650-5774.
Above and at left are two views of the UMO performing Zen Tales. Photos by Larry Montgomery for The Edge.
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