When is grief personal? When is it collaborative? How do you mourn the violent loss of your life partner while keeping the spirit of his work and companionship alive?
These are some of the themes Montreal choreographer Thea Patterson tackles in her new piece Un-nerving, playing at Espace Libre until December 6th. Using pullies, cords, dangling microphones, hundreds of tiles, and more, Patterson sets the stage for examining and perpetuating the artistic collaboration she shared with husband Jeremy Gordaneer, who was murdered in 2021.
With the help of friends and fellow artists Rachel Harris and Elinor Fueter, Patterson uses the stage as a platform for examining grief—the shattering and rebuilding, the dark spaces we occupy, the loneliness and need to reach out for support. The absence of Jeremy is also a powerful presence, showing up in old cassette recordings, items of clothing, even the paper bags the police used to return his belongings.
There are no words to this performance. Instead, there is a universal lamenting, which invokes the Celtic tradition of keening—the women wailing, often writhing, through the scattering of tiles and across the stage. The metaphors here are profound and moving, often left to our interpretation, creating a space that allows everyone to bring in and process the grief in their own lives.
In the end, we discover the performance extends beyond the stage and into the audience, calling us each to rebuild the pieces left behind and follow Patterson on a journey that has only just begun.
Un-nevering is playing at Espace Libre until December 6th.
Tickets can be purchased here.
