Breaking through walls sit Erin Palm as Sabina in Studio 58's production of The Skin of Our Teeth. Palm breaks the fourth wall in the play to address the audience and elicit thought about deeper issues. ROSS DEN OTTER PHOTO Studio 58 addresses modern issues in historic WW2 play By DESIREE GARCIA angara’s Studio 58 isbreak- ing theatrical convention in its rendition of The Shin of Our Teeth to generate discussion about climate change, politics and human resilience. Pulitzer prize winner Thornton Wilder wrote The Skin of Our Teeth in 1942. The story of a fam- ily overcoming seemingly end- less disasters (the first act involves the ice age, the second approach- ing the end of the world and the third act deals with the aftermath of a seven year war) still resonates with audiences 76 years later. Director Sarah Rodgers said that the play has been pro- duced more times this sea- son than it has in recent years, likely because Sarah Rodgers of the resem- pjpecToR THE SKIN blance between OF OUR TEETH Mr. Antrobus, the father and politician of the fam- ily, and President Donald Trump. “There is a real connection to the political climate that we are living today and this play,” said Rodgers, who defines the character of Antro- bus as highly egocentric. Erin Palm is in her second year with Studio 58 and plays Sabina, the family’s household help. Her character frequently breaks the fourth wall, meaning she refers to the audience directly. “Some people left halfway through the show because it just broke so many theatrical conven- tions, but that’s probably my fa- vorite part about it,” Palm said. The play's stage manager, Heather Barr, said that despite the play opening 76 years ago it is still highly relevant to modern times as it is about the resilience of hu- man beings. The Antrobus family endure various disasters, starting off with the ice age which subtly brings about the topic on climate change. “In one of the acts, the family is separated, and another disaster happens, and they come together, and they make it through,” Barr said. “We can't do it alone, we can do it together.” Dandelion: the superweed Common garden woe can provide variety of health benefits, accord- ing to herbalist By GABRIELLE PLONKA esidents in South Vancou- R= are learning to create tinctures from dandelions, the superfood of the spring ac- cording to an Indigenous herbalist. At an herbal medicine work- shop last Sunday at the Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre, students foraged and curated their own dandelion tinctures while learn- ing about the medicinal prop- erties of local flora and fauna. Host Lori Snyder showed her class how different parts of the dandelion plant can be beneficial in different ways. The root is high in iron so is good for the liver, the leaves contain potassium which is good for the kidneys, the flower is rich in vitamin D - the sunshine vi- Lori Snyder teaches workshop students about the benefits of dandelions and how to make them into tinctures. GAgRIELLE PLONKA PHOTO tamin - and you can add the stem to salads for some extra crunch. Snyder does warn that dan- delion contains small amounts of latex so should be avoided by anyone with a latex allergy. For SFU student Rebekah Stevens, attending the semi- nar was a way to gain perspec- tive during a tough semester. “Tve been really stressed with school, so I figured it would be good to do something like this,” Stevens said. “It’s about] always appreciating what’s in front of us.’ Snyder's connection with the Earth comes from her Indig- enous heritage. She appreciates the plants that the Earth gives. “The dandelion speaks to you,” Snyder said. “And dan- delion, they're an amazing plant. I’m really super grateful.” “The dandelion speaks to you.” — LORI SNYDER, INDIGENOUS HERBALIST Registered herbal therapist, Moi- ta Wyrd said herbal tinctures are beneficial to milder stomach issues. “Holistic medicine is very good for prevention,” she said. “We're looking at things that even are more subtle, things that aren't enough of an issue to even be diagnosed as an issue.” For Snyder, personal nu- trition is about interact- ing with local food sources. “When you start to find a taste for wild plants, our bodies will start to crave more,” Snyder said. "Know your history, keep those stories alive... and learn your plants." New moon, new me Women unify at lunar ceremony to renew inner power By AMANDA POOLE omen gathered at a yoga studio last week to welcome a new moon and purge their past pains. Over 50 women went to the full moon circle at Dharma Temple to explore their vulnerabilities in a safe setting. Attendees gather in a circle to acknowledge their per- sonal afflictions. The ceremonies are held monthly, but the Feb. 1 event marked the phenomenon of a super moon lunar eclipse on Jan. 31, the first of its kind in over 150 years. Sara Jade Gooding, Dharma Temple’s co-owner and event organizer, hopes the moon cer- emony will help women connect with each other and with their inner selves to combat feelings of insecurity and unworthiness. “You see yourself in each oth- et, to be shared, be heard and be witnessed to become more of your true self,” Gooding said. Annie Passmore said she par- ticipates in moon ceremo- nies to feel empowered and to connect with the community. “People are gathering for a com- mon purpose, built on love and connection,” Passmore said. Langara anthropology instruc- tor, Adam Solomonian, said that while the rising tides influenced by a full moon have been attrib- uted to changes in the makeup of water in people’s bodies, the event holds different significance de- pending on a person's belief system. “The real power is in those be- liefs which shape human behaviour rather than the thing in the sky,” he said. Black moon. There is no full moon in February. Blue moon. There are two full moons in March. January also saw two full moons in a month, a rare event in a calander year. Super new moon. The new moon is closest to Earth. Micro full moon. The full moon will occur when the moon is farthest from the Earth. Super new moon. SOURCE: TIMEANDDATE.COM