Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg; photo by Wendy D Photograph

Much of Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg’s one hour new piece, Porno Death Cult, draws on past religious experiences, most notably her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage across Spain on foot. The show received its world premiere last night at Firehall Arts Centre, where a packed crowd greeted the Vancouver-based performance artist.

When Tara first arrives on the stage with little other than a photo-montaged altar/sculpture at rear, her jittery, psychotic movements, served up in a big white suit, brought me back to David Byrne’s Stop Making Sense circa 1984.

If you’re not familiar with the former Talking Heads frontman, during the mid-80’s, his band’s album coincided with a documentary film of the same name, featuring Byrne in an oversized, crisp white suit while the band’s rhythm section complemented his jittery, beat-infused dancing on stage.

Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg

Porno Death Cult begins non-verbally, the sound of footsteps punctuated by spotlights shone on the audience; once Tara begins talking (a seemingly exhausting feat to achieve through her gestures), her words take on an Irish accent. The synthesis of movement to the disjointed music led me to question whether she was panicked or trying to sort out a problem. Adding to this is her long hair drawn straight down the front of her face. We started to wonder whether when we’d see her face.

During Tara’s monologue (punctured by a return to disjointed movements and soundscapes), she pokes fun at uber-health-centric Vancouver: yoga, self-absorption, diet obsession. This is unexpected and fun, not to mention her incredibly flexible body that twists and turns into some wicked yoga poses (she’s been practicing yoga since the age of three), all the while engaging the audience with tales of religious self-exploration.

Lighting designer James Proudfoot adds to the atmosphere with spotlights on the altar to randomly highlight some of the photos, set in boxy rows and containing a wide variety of objects. This montage is reminiscent of last year’s How Has My Love Affected You? by Porno Death Cult director Marcus Youssef.

At one point, Tara’s prepared her space for a party with Jesus, describing in full detail her excitement and meticulous cleansing measures. This may not sound interesting to read, but the scene is both comedic and leads to yet more unexpected, entertaining turns. Set designer Mickey Meads creates an intricate altar that later includes Friedenberg – a visual treat.

Porno Death Cult is only on for two more nights, and we highly recommend getting down to the Firehall Arts Centre to engage with Tara’s intelligent, humourous insight into many religions rolled into one, as well as the fun stabs she takes at the new age scene.

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