Vladimir Is Dead

The Never And The Yes—School of Contemporary Dancers

Lily relives her youth while reminiscing with her dead pet fish. The setting builds the foundation for an emotional catharsis but pouring the concrete for this foundation takes too long. I never get a real connection with the character and the emotional empathy never surfaces.

“Fish do not have eyelids and they don’t blink; they just stare.” They sleep with their eyes open, which is somewhat similar to what I did. I stared at the stage but the digressions were too frequent and too long, causing me to lose interest often. Yes, there is a tragic story here but a tragedy is just a drama if you can’t engage the empathy.

Ray Yuen