Ivan Coyote and Rae Spoon - “You Are Here” at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto, 10/27/2007

“I'm of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living librarian who crosses my path, on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Books have saved my life more than once. When people record words and capture thoughts and sentiments that are often not shared or discussed, the resulting archive may just provide you with the fuel that you need to pick yourself up and continue the endurance race.

Recently, I had the chance to spend the evening with a favorite guy of mine, so I was careful not to let the opportunity pass. Along with a theatre full of other admirers, I spent an hour or so enthralled by the wry humour, keen observation and cocky wit of author and performer Ivan Coyote, accompanied by the wistful and heartbreaking vocals of Rae Spoon. Tales of life in the Yukon, both spoken and sung, were accompanied by engaging visuals created by Valerie Salez, an artist from Dawson City.

You Are Here is an interesting career progression for Ivan Coyote from far edgier and more radical representations of marginalization, identity and belonging to more universal, but no less personal or poignant stories about family history and matriarchs – strong women who “succeeded in spite of their husbands.” The stories in the show are also about occupying and being inhabited by a unique place, one where the landscape is now being obliterated by notions of big box progress and the effects of global warming.

Whitehorse is depicted as a place of strong community and belonging. Though long gone, it is clear that Ivan Coyote does not see himself as being from “outside.” Perhaps his sense of connection has to do with being a distinctive person from an iconic place, who in some ways occupies the space between. Like Whitehorse, a place unlike anywhere else in Canada, defined as different from the South but described as occurring on the way to Alaska.

As with all good theatre, You Are Here is greater than the sum of it’s parts. The content, simple staging and choice of venue left me with the impression of a performance that has stayed with me in the same way that important conversations do.

“I'm of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living artist who captures those in-between places and exposes them, for those of us who exist there.” ~ Ruth Cameron

Review by Ruth Cameron