Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin
Entering into Te Auaha’s Tapere Iti the tableau on the stage is of scattered childrens toys, a laundry basket (filled) and an abstract human-sized human-thing made of a similar cream coloured cotton sitting slumped forward. This stage image captures part of the essence of this show. Liv Tennet is a mid-thirties mother with a son going on five years old. She has crafted a body of work around the turmoil of raising a brand new person but also holding true to who you were, and what you loved, before you had such monumental obligations.
The tableau was striking because it evokes a lived-in home with a young person around. The abstraction of a person, sitting slumped over with its hands between its legs like someone who can’t stop but desperately needs a rest. The life of a parent. Someone who, with the pressures of parenthood, must shirk many of their own colours in order to put the baby first.
For You to Know and Me to Find Out is a dance show and Tennet brings a sense of humour to each separate scene which responds to an element of parent life. My personal favourite was the hands which I thought harkened back an age or two, musically, just because you don’t see much tap dancing these days (unless you know where to look).This particular scene, for me, was about expectations of a mother. Her oversized hands and elongated arms stretch out from her dressing gown. It evoked more a sense of someone comedically enjoying the reality of how much a parent stretches themselves thin.
Tennet is very funny and her comedy comes from two places; the voice over and the physicality. She doesn’t say anything live in the show, it’s all recorded. Sometimes while she was miming, particularly when she was miming gestures between people or mouthing things to others, I hoped she would slow it down a little. Some things got lost in the energy of the moment and could have been clearer. Her writing is poignant and makes me laugh by simply being matter-of-fact.
Tennet is a forceful performer and puts her whole body into the show, ending up sweaty and panting. I imagine parents might feel the same after doing what they do each day. It’s not uncommon to hear artists talking about their art as their baby and I find it very satisfying how Tennet seems to be raising both babies in balance. Throughout the show there are momentary interruptions where her son's voice calls out after his mum. In these moments the show stops, a light breaks forth from between some curtains and Tennet calls back, “yes, baby?” These moments, never given much attention, are perfect in their brevity. How any moment, no matter how important or perhaps how distracted you might be, can be put quickly back in its place when the real priority raises its cute, chubby cheeks.
As much as Tennet may ponder it, thrash against it, desire it to consume her life as it did before having a child, her art and all else will always come second to her greatest creation. Instead of being spiteful, she seems to have embraced it and made her career all the stronger for becoming a mother in spite of how people may see it as a hindrance.
For You To Know And For Me To Find Out is, by and of itself, a success. Wrestling with one’s obligation to a child but also to one’s passion and career, for this show to exist it means Tennet has in some way already won this battle. More info here.
For You to Know and Me to Find Out is a dance show and Tennet brings a sense of humour to each separate scene which responds to an element of parent life. My personal favourite was the hands which I thought harkened back an age or two, musically, just because you don’t see much tap dancing these days (unless you know where to look).This particular scene, for me, was about expectations of a mother. Her oversized hands and elongated arms stretch out from her dressing gown. It evoked more a sense of someone comedically enjoying the reality of how much a parent stretches themselves thin.
Tennet is very funny and her comedy comes from two places; the voice over and the physicality. She doesn’t say anything live in the show, it’s all recorded. Sometimes while she was miming, particularly when she was miming gestures between people or mouthing things to others, I hoped she would slow it down a little. Some things got lost in the energy of the moment and could have been clearer. Her writing is poignant and makes me laugh by simply being matter-of-fact.
Tennet is a forceful performer and puts her whole body into the show, ending up sweaty and panting. I imagine parents might feel the same after doing what they do each day. It’s not uncommon to hear artists talking about their art as their baby and I find it very satisfying how Tennet seems to be raising both babies in balance. Throughout the show there are momentary interruptions where her son's voice calls out after his mum. In these moments the show stops, a light breaks forth from between some curtains and Tennet calls back, “yes, baby?” These moments, never given much attention, are perfect in their brevity. How any moment, no matter how important or perhaps how distracted you might be, can be put quickly back in its place when the real priority raises its cute, chubby cheeks.
As much as Tennet may ponder it, thrash against it, desire it to consume her life as it did before having a child, her art and all else will always come second to her greatest creation. Instead of being spiteful, she seems to have embraced it and made her career all the stronger for becoming a mother in spite of how people may see it as a hindrance.
For You To Know And For Me To Find Out is, by and of itself, a success. Wrestling with one’s obligation to a child but also to one’s passion and career, for this show to exist it means Tennet has in some way already won this battle. More info here.