- . Digg It
- . Sphere It
- . E-mail This
- . Save to del.icio.us
- . Permanent Link
The Other Oil War
One-man show tackles politics of greed
When actor/writer/performance artist Dan Hoyle traveled to Nigeria as a Fulbright Scholar, he returned home with a story too big to be told by just one voice.
Kidnappings, pipeline bombings, and other acts of violence are becoming routine in Nigeria because of its growing status as a U.S. oil supplier (the country now provides more than 10 percent of American oil). Residents, interlopers, and oil barons alike are forced to live in this increasingly hostile environment as the world's fossil-fuel supply dwindles and the most powerful nations vie to secure it.
In Tings Dey Happen, a self-penned, one-man show now on stage at the Culture Project in New York City, Hoyle examines the plight of the oil-rich Niger Delta through the personas of Nigerian prostitutes, warlords, militants, activists, and other characters he's created to personalize Nigeria's current state of unrest.
Hoyle's performance is being hailed as "Riveting" (The New York Times) and "Extraordinary" (NYTheatre.com) by the critics, who seem universally moved by its potent content as well as the actor's embodiment of over a dozen characters, both men and women, of varying ages, races, and socioeconomic strata. Hoyle "keeps himself in perpetual motion, jerking his body aggressively and stretching his features," writes Time Out New York's Adam Feldman. "It's hard to believe he's the only person on stage for 90 minutes."
A phenomenon when it debuted in San Francisco in December of 2006, Tings Dey Happen is now storming New York City. The show, originally scheduled to conclude this summer, is being held over until October 20. Catch it while you can.
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
Kidnappings, pipeline bombings, and other acts of violence are becoming routine in Nigeria because of its growing status as a U.S. oil supplier (the country now provides more than 10 percent of American oil). Residents, interlopers, and oil barons alike are forced to live in this increasingly hostile environment as the world's fossil-fuel supply dwindles and the most powerful nations vie to secure it.
In Tings Dey Happen, a self-penned, one-man show now on stage at the Culture Project in New York City, Hoyle examines the plight of the oil-rich Niger Delta through the personas of Nigerian prostitutes, warlords, militants, activists, and other characters he's created to personalize Nigeria's current state of unrest.
Hoyle's performance is being hailed as "Riveting" (The New York Times) and "Extraordinary" (NYTheatre.com) by the critics, who seem universally moved by its potent content as well as the actor's embodiment of over a dozen characters, both men and women, of varying ages, races, and socioeconomic strata. Hoyle "keeps himself in perpetual motion, jerking his body aggressively and stretching his features," writes Time Out New York's Adam Feldman. "It's hard to believe he's the only person on stage for 90 minutes."
A phenomenon when it debuted in San Francisco in December of 2006, Tings Dey Happen is now storming New York City. The show, originally scheduled to conclude this summer, is being held over until October 20. Catch it while you can.
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
What People Are Saying…
Leave a Comment