1998the timewarp the dinotamers velolove |
1999the civic election campaign promises political scandal |
2000video dino song petroleum congress |
2001-2004Dino Opera street theatre company |
In 1998 Dr. Lilith Butch was a biology professor who cycled every day to UBC and practiced witchcraft by night. She obtained special powers from a high galactic source and brought the dinosaurs through the fractal time flux portal that connects their time to ours.
Lilith involved a group of friends in caring for the dinos and teaching them how to ride bicycles. Sometimes they became violent and it was hard to control them and teach them about non-violent direct action. Several times they attacked cars on the bikeways at night.
Lilith's old hippie sweetheart from Lasqueti Island developed a cookie recipe that soothed the dinosaurs' road rage and the dinos went on a lovely Valentines Day critical mass to Stanley Park in broad daylight with 137 cyclists. The dinos also joined the Critical Mass several times that year.
In 1999, the talking dinosaur, T Raax, ran for mayor of Vancouver, promising to tear up roads and weld SUV's together. He got hundreds of votes even though he had to abdicate because of a nomination scandal.
In 2000 the dinos produced a rock video that tells their story in music and bicycle choreography. Download it from the Vancouver Indymedia website and watch "Extinction Stinks" on a computer with a media player.
That year the dinos journeyed to their old fossil bed in Alberta. In Calgary they questioned the World Petroleum Congress with their theme song, "We're the Dinos from Dead River Valley"
Since 2001 the Dinos and the Bikesexuals have been telling their story to Vancouver through productions of the Rocky Dino Opera.
The set and costumes are moved in bicycle trailers and the sound system and lights have been powered by pedal power generators from PedalWorks. Pedal powered machines also produce refreshments and special effects.
The opera is post modern folk theatre, a late night collagistic rock opera. The audience becomes part of the show by singing along, heckling Brad, or by dressing as one of the bikesexual gang. The theme is the deconstruction of a suburban couple's car culture and petroleum dependent lifestyle.
The telling of the story in a video version of the DinoMatrix will include all the song and dance numbers from the live show. Our four veloraptor ballerinas are really excited about becoming movie stars. A stage production including more dino dance choreography is likely to follow the 2005 production of the video.