Jay Shah
DevOps\Aerospace Engineer & Journalist
Hello, theatre lovers and curious minds! 🎭 Welcome back to another deep dive into the bold and boundary-pushing world of performance art. This time, I’m thrilled to introduce
Empty-Handed
Empty-Handed. Photo by Luciana Freire D’Anunciação
A groundbreaking new piece from:
choreographed by the talented Arash Khakpour and co-produced by his brother Aryo Khakpour. If you’ve followed my journey through Vancouver’s vibrant arts scene, you might remember my coverage of Aryo’s work as the man behind the lens in the GAME PROJECT as well as his surrealist piece MUD at the Polygon Gallery. Empty-Handed takes their collaboration to new heights, merging live choreography with pre-recorded projections, creating a visceral, voyeuristic experience that leaves audiences questioning the boundary between observer and participant.
Having had the privilege of covering some of Vancouver’s most exciting festivals — the Shakespearian Bard on the Beach, EMV’s magical journey with BACH, and the various musical acts with the Arts Club Theatre, to name a few—I can confidently say that Empty-Handed is one of the most anticipated performances this season. Hosted by the Firehall Arts Centre, this production is set to dazzle audiences from
Let’s dive in and explore why this show needs to be on your radar!
Voyeurism and Transformation – A Glimpse Beyond the Curtain
Empty-Handed, the latest creation from The Biting School, invites you into a world where voyeurism meets transformation; this performance promises to blur the boundaries between audience and participant, using live and pre-recorded projections to offer an immersive, emotional experience. With a blend of raw choreography, haunting soundscapes and visuals that challenge cultural and historical boundaries, this is one show that will leave you questioning the very role of the observer.
An attempt to get closer to our own essence.
An attempt to find the deeper, broken fragments of ourselves.
An attempt to get closer to the other.
-Arash Khakpour
Partnering with projection designer Candelario Andrade Gutierrez, Arash inspires to create moments that make you feel like you’re spying on a transformation that you were never meant to see. The effect? A performance that will pull you into the action, blurring the line between observer and participant. Of course, none of this would land without the haunting soundscapes composed by Alex Mah, which will guide you through every emotional beat of the show, and lighting designer Dan O’Shea’s atmospheric work, which casts everything in a transformative glow.
Performers include:
Additional Contributors:
- Voiceover/Video Actor: m̓iƛaa (mi-tlaa)
- Costume Designer: Elika Mojtabaei
- Props and Set Designer: Hamidreza Jadid
- Stage and Production Manager: Kayleigh Sandomirsky
- Headpiece Artist: T.J. Felix
- Creative Consultants: Heather Lamoureux , Heidi Nagtegaal
- Dramaturg: Raïna von Waldenburg
- Assistant Stage Manager: Agnes Hui
- Rehearsal Assistants: Sophia Wolfe
- Publicity Photographer and Videographer: Luciana Freire D’Anunciação
- Co-Producer: Aryo Khakpour
Redefine Your Theatre Experience : Darkness, Deception, and Personal Journeys
This art-work promises to take us on an introspective journey, exploring the themes of darkness, deception, and greed through the lives of five cosmic characters. The piece blends storytelling with choreography, creating a surreal landscape where these characters navigate their own revolutions.
What makes this performance particularly unique is its interactive nature: audience members are invited to bring an item from their past to leave behind, transforming the performance into something deeply personal and symbolic.
Each character’s journey transcends time and culture, exploring the essence of human nature and self-reflection. The props, vibrant costumes, and dramatic lighting promises to create a visually stunning experience, while the original music and projections will highlight the darker aspects of the human condition.
This theme of personal confrontation and transformation echoes The Biting School’s previous production, Zahak, the Serpent King,
where themes of power, deception, and internal conflict were explored through the lens of Persian mythology.
Zahak, the Serpent King. Photo by Luciana Freire D’Anunciação
They used the ancient myth of a prince corrupted by greed and manipulated by the devil to create a visually and emotionally intense narrative. Zahak’s internal struggle—symbolized by the snakes growing from his shoulders—mirrored the tension between desire and consequence, a tension that is likely to be a key focus in Empty-Handed as well.
The brothers employed a fluid, non-linear storytelling style, allowing actors to shift between roles, embodying characters or aspects of the myth’s symbolism, such as the serpents. This refusal to stick to traditional narrative frameworks invited audiences to interpret the performance on multiple levels, engaging with both the intellectual and emotional underpinnings of the story.
Just as the audiences witnessed the physical and moral decay of it’s characters, Empty-Handed promises to similarly challenge its viewers by pulling them into moments of voyeurism, where personal transformation unfolds before their eyes—demanding reflection and introspection.
Biting School: Where Myth and Movement Collide
The power of this upcoming piece lies in the artistic vision of The Biting School, founded by brothers Aryo and Arash Khakpour. Known for their ability to merge myth, social dynamics, and physical theatre, the Khakpour brothers create performances that are as thought-provoking as they are emotionally charged. Their previous work, Zahak, the Serpent King, delved into the myth of Zahak, a prince who makes a pact with the devil, and used dance and spoken word to explore themes of power, oppression, and sacrifice.
What sets this production house apart is their ability to transcend cultural boundaries and historical timeframes while making their performances resonate with contemporary issues. Their commitment to using art as a medium for exploring complex human experiences is sure to shine through in Empty-Handed, as Aryo eloquently mentioned describing his previous work:
“Making the familiar, unfamiliar.”
Leave Something Behind
As someone who has closely followed Vancouver’s vibrant arts scene you can tell I’m especially excited about Empty-Handed. The Biting School has consistently delivered performances that challenge not only the boundaries of art but also how we engage with it. Having also covered Elika’s & Aryo’s work in the past, including their thought-provoking film A Film About a Uterus, I can confidently say that this new production continues to push those same artistic boundaries and this performance will undoubtedly leave you contemplating your role as an observer and the boundaries between public and private transformation.
This premiere is a must-see for anyone invested in the evolution of contemporary performance in Vancouver. Don’t miss your chance to experience a piece that not only entertains but also invites you to reflect on your own journey. Be prepared to leave something behind—both on stage and within yourself.
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2 responses to “Empty-Handed: The Biting School’s Bold New Vision at Firehall Arts Centre”
[…] Never Failed Me Yet“ by Aryo Khakpour: Yes, the same Aryo from GAME PROJECT!, MUD as well as EMPTY-HANDED. A crown of crayons and a confrontation in the park between Tom Waits and Jesus Christ (*ahem* very […]
[…] persian adobe architecture exhibit that I covered last year. Jaysuits will remember my plunge into Empty-Handed a few months back, his brother Arash Khakpour‘s gripping Biting school production that […]