“Montreal-based Kayla Jeanson’s Plays Herself likewise compels as a highly visceral, gestural-based work that becomes increasingly propulsive, its enigmatic ending wisely leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions… ” ★★★★1/2
(Holly Harris, The Winnipeg Free Press, July 23, 2023)
Plays Herself (s’est jouée) is a contemporary dance solo choreographed and performed by Kayla Jeanson. In this gestural and acrobatic work, the dancer’s hands become agents of her subconscious, pulling her compulsively, trapping her with habits, and sabotaging her best intentions. As she is strung along on a journey guided by violin music and wayward emotion, Kayla struggles to find her own rhythm.
“Plays Herself” – world premiere at the 2023 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in Subscatter Productions’ The Murky Place. Lighting design by jaymez. Photos by Pablo Riquelme.
“[Plays Herself] depicts the struggle of our mind against enslavement: restraints and constraints of technology, demands, society and our own bodies. The spectacular grace and agility keeps the water enchanted.”
(Ray Yuen, The Jenny Revue, July 2023)