Portlander Lawrence Howard loves to tell stories of challenging journeys and grand endeavors, especially those involving the great age of polar exploration a century ago. Now he's set to take on a significant journey of his own, albeit with much less arduous travel.
Howard, co-founder of
and a local leader in the resurgence of solo storytelling as a performing art, will head to New York City in October to perform in the third annual
, presenting his show "Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare: The 1914 Voyage of the Endurance."
Based on the harrowing odyssey of explorer Ernest Shackleton, the show premiered in Portland in 2008, has proved popular in two runs since then, and has grown into what Howard calls
a three-part series that also includes "Mawson's Mettle" (2010) and "Polar Opposites: Amundsen, Scott, and The Race For The Pole" (2011).
"Just as the ancient shaman of a culture without written language memorialized the heroic deeds of ancestors in songs and stories, so Howard celebrates the brave perseverance of the British explorer," wrote
. "Just as the shaman helped to create a sense of group identity by linking later generations with the distant past, so Howard calls attention to generational continuity by framing his story with a description of how he and his father bonded through the shared admiration of Shackleton's unflinching courage before adversity.
"In some ways, Howard may emulate ancient singers, but he does so in a genial, modern manner...the exciting story and Howard's easy communication style keeps us entranced from start to finish."
The United Solo Festival, scheduled for Oct. 11-Nov. 18, features more than 80 performances, including storytelling, improv, dance, puppetry, stand-up comedy, multimedia and music, chosen through an application process. (Among the more intriguing titles in the
: "Blood Type: Ragu," "The Apple Tree, or Penis No. 7," "Lady Luck Is a Whore," "Medea's Got Some Issues.")
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has given Howard a professional development grant to help him take the show to New York.
A Portland Story Theater press release quotes from Howard's application letter to the United Solo Festival board: "With no set, no costumes, no props, no fancy lighting, a lone performer holds the stage and singlehandedly creates an entire universe with nothing more than gesture, words and voice. This is a return to the ancient roots of theater. This is theater at its most elemental, most essential core."
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