The Deacon's Bench
Halifax poet, musician and actor Tanya Davis is turning to the Catholic Church for her next project.
On Saturday night, Davis will perform what she is calling a “poetic, probing and playful” rendition of the liturgy.
Davis grew up in the Catholic Church, but left it long ago.
“What stayed with me is this sort of search for meaning and curiosity about faith and religion and why people gather, and how it works and where it fails us,” she said.
The work is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and Arts Nova Scotia.
To inspire her, Davis has attended many church services over the past year.
The performance addresses some questions she has.
“I still have so many questions about why and what and what are we doing. And this show by no means answers them. It’s just a projection of all these questions outwards in an artistic experience,” said Davis.
There will be music, hymn-like songs, a choir, an organist, poetry and theatrics.
Davis says there will be some critique of the Catholic Church in this piece — but she says in no way did she mean to demean followers of the church. She says she’s looking for something that works for her, and her need to find answers and ask questions.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In