EMPTY-HANDED

“You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold.”
― Alejandro Jodorowsky

Premieres Fall 2024

Through the use of props like dough, which we knead and later use as masks, and water, which we use to wash our hands, we conjure up images of everyday life that transcend cultural and historical boundaries. We use live and pre-recorded projections to create a sense of voyeurism: the audience witnesses a transformation they should not be privy to. Costumes with a muted colour palette help build the world, disrupted by brightly coloured props and engaging lighting design to further enforce the characters’ metamorphosis. Original music and sound design amplify our satirical commentary on the haunting subject matter.

Choreographer: Arash Khakpour
Performers: Juolin Lee, Marisa Gold, Hayley Gawthrop, Antonio Somera Jr. & Arash Khakpour
Creative Consultant: Heather Lamoureux
Dramaturg: Aryo Khakpour, Raina von Waldenburg
Prop/stage Designer: Hamidreza Jadid
Costume Designer: Elika Mojtabaei
Projection Designer: Candelario Andrade Gutierrez
Composer: Alex Mah
Lighting/Tech Designer: Dan O’Shea
Photographer & Videographer: Luciana Freire D’Anunciação
Outside eye: Anne Cooper

The Biting School gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, BC Gaming, Battery Opera, EDAM Dance.