By Jay Menard

Art can move. It’s a simple statement with so many connotations, and Mind of a Snail’s Caws & Effect Is a production that reinforces the idea of art that is moving. And moving.

It’s described as large-scale shadow theatre, but that description is nowhere near encompassing enough. Most people think of shadow theatre in black and white – or, at best, shades of grey. Caws and Effect is a production that is richly and heart-warmingly hued with a moving rainbow of colours, effects, and emotions.

It is, ostensibly, a story of life, following a family of crows. Yes, there is live action acting (both players dress and act like crows), but the majority of the production is performed courtesy of a pair of overhead projectors.

Now, remember back in high school (at least for those of us a certain vintage) what our teachers would do with overhead projectors? Put us to sleep. Mind of a Snail grabs your attention with a pair of projectors and transport you into a beautiful, artistic world of colour, emotion, and, yes, bad bird puns.

These two women are artists in every sense of the word. They created the overhead images (which are so rich and dynamic); they performed the music and created the ambient sounds; and they perform the entire show in perfect unison and without missing a beat.

Take what you think you know about shadow theatre and throw it out the window. Caws & Effect may be for the birds, but it’s a show that will let your imagination soar.