Anatomica was my first show for Wednesday. I came to this show after meeting it’s creator and star, Amica Hunter. They were at the table as part of the board, when I went to see August Quarterly Report. A little later I ran into them while wandering through the outdoor space. I took a handbill and made a note to see this show.
Anatomica: All About Skeletons
I din’t take a picture of the poster for Anatomica. If you do see it as you wander around the Exchange, you may be asking yourself: What I am getting myself into if I see this show. I’ll tell you. You are going to get laughter, learning, and life lessons. I put laughter first not only because it is alphabetically so, but also because it is the controlling word of the three.
Hunter is a very gifted writer, performer and designer. Their costumes and props are wildly inventive. Think Carrot Top, but actually funny. The costumes are by turns bawdy and bombastic. Always leaving you laughing, even gasping for breath.
Hunter lives with Fibromyalgia. This is a disease that affects the skeletal system. Hunter divides the show up into three scenes, one for each of the three types of skeleton. This is where the learning part comes. Don’t worry though, it is learning through laughter. I doubt any science class in school was this hilarious.
Finally there is the life lessons part. This isn’t about telling anybody what to think about their bodies, rather Anatomica enables the audience to think about their bodies. Each skeleton type has it’s pros and cons. It’s a thought exercise that is not meant to bring people to a correct answer, but rather to think about something they may never have though about before.
Vertebrates reflecting on invertebrates
Obviously we humans can’t exist as invertebrates, but can we learn from reflecting on invertebrates? Hunter’s show gives us reasons to think so. It should also open us up to greater to the many vertebrates around us whose lives are affected by chronic pain. Those invisible challenges that have a powerful, painful impact on many people’s lives
There are only three show of Anatomica left. Try your best to go and see one.
