Industrial Burlesque Collective
How do you say goodbye to someone when your main method of communicating with them is via Facebook? Especially when they
can’t answer back.
That’s the question being asked by the Industrial Burlesque Collective in their upcoming Fringe show “3 21”.
“Facebook is one of those weird cases of websites becoming verbs,” says writer, Eli Joseph, “you want to find something,
you google it. Now if you want to contact someone, you facebook them instead. It’s become our primary means of
communication. With this play I wanted to examine the effect this shift has had on the way that we communicate face to
face.”
3 21 stars Scott Ransom as Barnaby (Back/Words, Frogs Under the Waterfront), who is trying to figure out why he can’t cry after the death of his childhood friend and flatmate, Adam. Rhian
Wood-Hill plays Casey, Barnaby’s cynical flatmate who spends the show lusting after Adam’s sister, Diana. (Willow
Lloyd-Smith.)
The cast comes together under the watchful eye of director, Sasha Gibb. “I was attracted to this piece because of it’s
relevance to New Zealand youth, the way we talk to each other has definitely changed since the introduction of sites
like Bebo and Facebook. It becomes easier to communicate instantly with almost everyone you know, but how do these
characters talk to each other face to face when they have to deal with losing someone close to them? This is a show for
anyone who has every wondered ‘Do I accept as friend, or report as spam?’”
And how has working on this play affected the way they look at Facebook? “I’m ashamed to admit it,” says Eli “but I’m
actually spending more time on Facebook now than I was before I got the idea for the show.”
“But we can get away with calling it research.” explained Sahsa.
3 21 is on at the Wellington Performing Arts Centre at 28 Vivian Street from the 23rd to 26th of February as part of the
Wellington Fringe Festival 2011.
Tickets are Koha/Donation on the door, email industrialburlesque[at]gmail.com for more information.
RSVP: Yes No Maybe
Industrial Burlesque Collective present
3 21
Wellington Performing Arts Centre, 25 Vivian Street
23rd to 26th of February, 7.30pm
Koha/Donation at the door
ENDS