Shadowland, Welcome To Oz!

Pilobolus Dance Theatre delves into the dream world and returns to Australia with their awe-inspiring show, 'Shadowland'.

You might not encounter munchkins or a yellow brick road, but 'Shadowland' is every bit as fantastical as the Land of Oz. “As we were making 'Shadowland', in my head I was like, it has a slight hint of Dorothy, you know, going into Oz,” Creator Mark Fucik says. Just like 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Shadowland' follows a young girl who enters her own sensational dream realm on quest for self-discovery. But this is where the similarities end. The Pilobolus dancers ingeniously use their bodies, modern dance and shadows to bring this amorphous dream world to life, live on stage. No film trickery required. Currently rehearsing at the Pilobolus studio in Connecticut USA, Mark and the dancers are preparing for their next adventure into the Oz-like shadow-realm and Australia. “I did not mean to make that correlation between Oz and Aus!” Mark laughs.

Image © Ian Douglas

As the creator of 'Shadowland', Mark is akin to the Wizard himself. “Pilobolus is known for the way that we stack bodies, and use bodies together, to make architectural images,” Mark explains. He discovered their unique dance style could be combine with shadow-making to create larger-than-life images of animals, people and fantastical creatures. “It started with a TV commercial where we did silhouettes, and went on to the Oscars where they asked us to do some shadow work, and it morphed in to a fully formed show which is 'Shadowland'.” From its somewhat accidental beginning, this awe-inspiring production has now been seen by over half a million people worldwide.

The global appeal of 'Shadowland' lies in its special brand of shadow magic, and its ability to surprise. You can’t help but question if what you’re seeing is actually happening live on stage. “You’ll see six or seven people roll in, and the way that they form their bodies, or twist their bodies into different shapes, will make one image of something like a horse. It’s kind of amazing in the way that we can do that,” Mark says. From behind a screen, the ensemble of dancers create an ever-changing shadow world where things aren’t always what they seem. “This main character is always kind of off balance about where she is, and who she is,” Mark says. “You know, one minute you’re flying and you think this is great, and then a pack of crows fly at you and you’re falling from the sky. What was once fun, now is not.”

Image © Ian Douglas

These fluid images are primarily created using bodies in shadow, but live dance is also interwoven within the show. The shadow screen is raised, and individual bodies are revealed as they go in to live modern dance. Suddenly, the shadow world becomes a place that feels very real. Mark explains, “Sometimes when you’re looking at a shadow it seems like it’s just an animation so it’s not as alive or real, it seems like it’s drawn or projected. So by pulling it into real life and doing it in modern dance, you know, like seeing the people sweating and moving, it make a little bit of a more colourful statement.”

Mark also likes that this shift makes the audience feel just as off balance as the young protagonist in 'Shadowland'. “That’s where it keeps you off balance too, because you think the show is all shadows, and then all of a sudden we’re there dancing live in front of you, and then we go back behind the screen where we create this other world where people shift back and forth.” It makes the audience share in the girl’s feelings of uncertainty and surprise.

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After all, 'Shadowland' is based on the universal coming-of-age story and the feelings of indecision and excitement that go with it. Mark wants the show to ask what it would be like if our ideal selves came to life, if we learn about who we are through dream versions of ourselves. “This little girl is trying to figure out is she a rock star, is she a movie star, what if she had bigger boobs, or if her hair looked like this. Certain experiences within the shadow realm teach her about who she is and the things that she values.”

For Mark, the shadow world is place that is ripe for this sort of self-exploration. “I think a person’s subconscious comes up in their dreams,” he says. “I believe that when you are dreaming, you are telling yourself things that you need to pay attention to.” I’m sure after Dorothy’s trip to Oz she would agree with Mark when he says, “I do think that there is a correlation between reality and a dream life.” It would seem, to discover this, that all we need to do is awaken ourselves to our shadow.

Shadowand Tour Dates

4-7 August – Regal Theatre (Perth)
11-14 August – State Theatre (Melbourne)
16 August – Frankston Arts Centre (Melbourne)
19 August – GPAC Playhouse Geelong (Victoria)
20 August – Horsham Town Hall Theatre (Victoria)
21 August – Ulumbarra Theatre (Victoria)
23-28 August – QPAC Playhouse (Brisbane)
30-31 August – Canberra Theatre
2-4 September – State Theatre (Sydney)
6-11 September – Her Majestys Theatre (Adelaide)