‘Life as we know it’ turns out to be about a very specific time in life: the teenage years. This show does not stimulate an older mind, or stir profound philosophical questioning about one’s life and the choices made. It does, however, hold your attention and leave you with a parental-like pride and appreciation for young people who are capable and committed to a cause. The company’s youthful vigour and physical exploration of the space and each other was executed with composed and coordinated conviction. But the piece also reminded me how long ago it was that I myself was such a teenager. Perhaps that’s my problem: I’m just too old and far removed to understand the anxieties and conflict of teenage existentialist dread.
This abstract, physical, multi-media performance, if at times a little repetitive, has some nice touches. Effective lighting and Amy West’s direction combine to enhance the physical and emotional detachment between two divergent groups of performers. Emphatic music and powerful unison choreography emboldens the performer-driven narrative though, unfortunately, the overall mood and theme did not resonate with me.
