Trunk: Oscillator Review

There are many inventive ways to tell a tale. Created and directed by Jeremy Waller, Trunk: Oscillator may seem minimalist and disjointed. However, it’s also an original theatrical experience which combines rock music, narration, and light projections, all wrapped up under the cloak of history and heredity.

Waller gains his inspiration from the unfortunate tale of his grandparents, who managed to survive World War II and emigrate to Canada, only to suffer from the harsh realities stemming from mental illness, eventually leading to adultery, divorce, and new-found love. According to Jeremy Waller, this semi-fictional tale serves as an apology to his grandfather.

(Performer Adriana Bucz. Photo courtesy of Craning Neck Theatre).

The performers use nearly all the space they can on the ground floor of the Loyola Chapel, with lighting provided by candles and lamps placed throughout the chapel. The play also includes a live rock band on the church altar, and the trunk itself resting right in the heart of the stage. By the end of the performance, various audience members are invited to join the actors as part of a silent chorus.

With its central theme of trauma, Trunk: Oscillator seems to be a lament, often eerie and sombre (a feeling which is heightened by the chapel itself ), yet Waller’s tale of family, loss, fear, and rage all lead to an inevitable sense of forgiveness and closure. There is scarcely any applause by the conclusion of the performance, instead the actors simply look around their surroundings and walk away from the stage silently, as if awoken from a dream.

For more information, please visit http://www.craningnecktheatre.org/trunk.html#trunkoscillator