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MATTHEW GUREWITSCH / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Linda Ewing’s merman figure “Ali‘i e Kai” is one of the highlights of Art Maui 2020 at the Schaefer International Gallery.
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COURTESY PHOTO
“Rink Life” combines theater, physical comedy, full-throttle postmodern dance and social commentary with a nod to 1970s roller rink culture.
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Editor’s note: Due to concerns about the new coronavirus, please check event and venue websites for the latest information on possible cancellations.
‘RINK LIFE’
Did you know the MacArthur Foundation grants “genius” awards not only to individuals, but also to “creative and effective institutions”? The only dance company so recognized is Lucky Plush Productions, based in Chicago. Make way for the ensemble’s current “Rink Life,” a mash-up of theater, physical comedy, social commentary and, yes, dance, inspired by the roller rinks of a half-century ago. The dialogue ain’t Shakespeare, friends, Romans, countrymen. Video clips suggest scattershot storylines, enacted by performers who play only themselves. But the movement is loose, wild and limber to the max. (Where the heck are the skates?)— Lucky Plus Productions presents “Rink Life” at 7:30 pm. March 26 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. Tickets: $20-$45.
ART MAUI 2020
Benedict Heywood, juror of Art Maui 2020, trained at London’s prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art. Part of his stated objective in curating the 42nd edition of our local blockbuster was to give a representative cross section of creative practice here on the Valley Isle. This he has accomplished, showcasing many of the usual suspects gallery- hoppers will recognize from the 2020 Annual Juried Exhibition at Hui No‘eau. With vastly larger space at his disposal, Heywood has selected 123 winning entries. To judge by the selection, he has a thing for polished surfaces; his is a very shiny show. The Hui had no art glass, so a big mahalo for examples by the Lowrys, Chris and Marianne (entering separately). Kudos to Scott Henry Buettner for his square, sleek and spooky “Octopus” table on inlaid wood. Another favorite or two or three: Patricia Chaney’s matched pair “Salt Water Swim, Fresh Water Rinse” (I, II), with its day-off South Shore vibe; Jack Hamilton’s framed plaque “Silver Seascape With Dolphins,” small enough to double as a large pin; and Linda Ewing’s jaunty merman “Ali‘i e Kai,” with his board, his shell necklace, his tats and that aloha glint in his eye. — Art Maui 2020 is on display 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, through April 3, in the MACC’s Schaefer International Gallery. Free admission.
Matthew Gurewitsch comes to Hawaii from three decades in New York as a cultural commentator for The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other media. Browse his archive at beyondcriticism.com.