Tag: Performance

“I wanna get married/ Yes, I need a spouse.”  A recording is played.  A woman sings those song lyrics without irony.  Sara Juli is flitting about in her bathroom.  She is briefly jarred back to reality when she notices the toilet seat is up.  This Burnt-Out Wife puts the seat down.  The song continues.  “I wanna get married/ That’s why I was born.”

When Ms. Juli announces “let’s do some more heteronormative bullshit,” you would be advised to put your slippers on and join her in this sanctuary.  Described as a “pepto-bismol-pink” bathroom, all the usual fixtures are represented.  A bathtub in which to relax with candles.  A toilet, a shower and a clothing rack.  A couple of dolls left on the floor.  Obviously the children were here earlier.

The wife looks in the mirror to perform some heteronormative tasks.  She begins plucking her eyebrows.  Then she notices hairs in other places, remarking, “that’s unexpected but you’ve gotta do some maintenance.”  Further inspection will elicit a “WTF!”  From the start, Sara Juli is on edge.  This Burnt-Out Wife is going through the motions but there is a lot on her mind.

How does one feel after seventeen years of marriage?  A few thoughts emerge such as bored, lonely, questioning and curious.  Things do get very serious in between the jesting about her life.  “What if I told you I didn’t want to be with you anymore?”  That zinger portends the depths of analysis which will follow.  No topic about the current state of affairs with her husband is off-limits.  The show is real, raw, funny, provocative and, despite the comedic shield, introspective and genuine.

The bridal dream of walking down the aisle is invoked.  The bouquet is a plunger.  This fantasy is soon replaced when reality hits.  She tells the story of receiving a text from her husband.  “We need more toilet paper.”  Her response back?  “We need more post-coital cuddling.”

This pink bathroom becomes her fantasy showcase in which to ponder the state of her life, perform comic monologues with a hairbrush and use dance movements to illustrate her feelings.  Behind the safety of an imagined locked bathroom door, this burnt-out wife is brutally honest with herself and her audience.  Her defenses are fortified but vulnerability is always apparent.

Since there is a real audience rather than just an imaginary one in the mirror, Ms. Juli is able to engage in some dialogue with them.  A question and answer section is used to debunk the childhood fairy tales of happily ever after.  One man is asked if separate floors would be a better living arrangement if they were married.  “Definitely” was his response.

“What if…” is a game which can be played in everyone’s mind.  In her show, Sara Juli directly addresses those thought bubbles which usually remain unspoken.  “What if we could have a one night stand while married to other people?”  A man answers, “I’d do it but I’d be a little troubled.”  She smiles and comments that, regardless of being troubled, he would do it anyway.  Funny.  Then the big ad lib lands.  “Let’s talk after.”

This one hour show is a delightful blend of comedy and serious without ever dipping into negativity.  The performance and the script stay focused on laughs despite the realness of the subject matter.  You could imagine a darker version.  The color pink, however, keeps the tone cotton candy sweet and playful.  That base allows the “wow” moments to stand out.

Sara Juli has been creating and performing comedic dance-theater for two decades.  Her ability to hold an audience’s attention with abrupt changes in style reflects that experience.  The creative elements around her are excellent.  Pamela Moulton’s set design would make the Pink Ladies from Grease swoon.  The costume designs by Carol Farrell are especially memorable.  Disposable razor blades as fringe feels fashion forward.  Never worry should you need a quick touch up.

A variety of enjoyments are scattered throughout this piece of performance art.  My favorite section came toward the end.  Ms. Juli seemed to be holding herself together.  A dance begins.  This is what the little girl wants.  This is what the mature woman needs.  Her deliberate and repetitive movements tell the story of the passage of time and life’s changes in direction.  This burnt-out wife is paying attention to her cravings.  Amidst all the zaniness the message was loud and clear.

Burnt-Out Wife is playing over two weekends at Dixon Place through February 28, 2020.  Sara will be touring with this show into 2021 and those locations are listed on her website.

www.dixonplace.org

www.sarajuli.com

The one page program announces A COCKTAIL IS A BEAUTIFUL THING in capital letters.  “It transcends its base ingredients to become something new and exciting.”  The theatrical event A Cocktail Party Social Experiment is also a beautiful thing.  The premise is simple:  invite some friends over, pour some drinks and play a game.  If the moon is aligned, meaningful conversations will emerge.  Happy people will return to their homes invigorated, refreshed and just a little bit more connected to their fellow Earthlings.

Based on a real game he co-created, Wil Petre hosts, essentially, the playing of a game on stage at the Chelsea Music Hall.  In his introduction he notes that all you need is a beautiful living room, delicious cocktails, a banging playlist, party guests and his Cocktail Party game.  The mission is to “create an analog experience.”  Phones down, all.  Fair disclosure:  we host game nights in our apartment so I’m on board immediately.

Nine chairs are placed on the stage.  Each is equipped with a microphone.  Our host explains the “procedure.”  Each round has a maître d and a guest of honor.  That person picks two cards which determine their conversational question.  After they finish, a toast.  Then that guest becomes the maître d and a new volunteer is selected from those wishing to participate.  Everyone else watches and sips away.  I enjoyed a drink called the Paper Plane.

Ricardo, the Negroni drinker, came first.  Mr. Petre superbly manages a positive tone throughout to foster a safe engagement for all participants.  He eases into each conversation lightly with a silly question.  Ricardo never eats pizza with a fork and knife.  After receiving his cocktail order, the real question is posed.  “What is a recent teachable moment you experienced?”  Ricardo was recently seeing someone who lived in a negative space and seemed to wallow in sadness by choice.  The man seemingly had “an addiction to sadness.”  Ricardo shared that he is “not a fixer.  I’m too irresponsible.”

Right out of the gate things were funny and lighthearted but also a tad serious yet effortlessly listenable.  A follow up question was then asked.  “What are you working on for yourself?”  Clarity was the answer.  The older Ricardo gets the more he wants to keep things simple.  “Clarity in speaking,” he adds so people cannot “superimpose unintended meanings to those words.”  A toast!  The doorbell rings.  Enter Beth Champagne.

Beth prefers Seinfeld over Friends.  She’s not a bridge burner.  There’s a downside, she warns.  “People come in that should’ve been out.”  Her fellow bubbly enthusiast Erin Champagne from San Francisco pops the cork next.  She is asked to “Describe the Beginning.”  After gulping down her quaff of choice, thoughtful pearls of wisdom emerge.  Everyone came from the Earth to become millions of people.  Treat everyone like a friend of a friend.  “We all come from the same thing.”

The admittedly “very neurotic” Adam Cider arrives before intermission.  He tells a story about a co-worker.  “He’s a faucet.  I’m a sponge.”  A brief intermission to replenish cocktails is followed by the arrival of Ze “One Of The Bourbon Drinks.”  “Marriage is hard,” she muses.  Why is her current situation her most difficult relationship?  “All of the others I knew were not going to last.”

Duruk Tequila & Soda contemplates religion and the afterlife.  Olivia Whiskey Rocks discusses an unfortunate date at “The Box.”  A staff member of that nightclub happened to be in the audience.  A baby boomer squealed for information.  Erotica would be the gist.  Finally, last guest Aidan arrives and is asked, “What is your revolution?”  His answer was “Bernie.”

While that might seem to be an expected response, the fact that we are all listening rather than talking allows a person to add nuance and depth of meaning to the quick quip.  Think about this insight:  “A generation not talking about politics and religion has created a generation that does not know how to talk about politics and religion.”  Aidan believes in the “interchange of ideas; it’s called a society.”

The entire evening was fascinating to watch, endlessly interesting and always enjoyable.  How do you know if your cocktail party is successful?  When I was putting on my coat, all of the game participants were enthusiastically conversing on stage.  People in the audience were coming up to talk to them and with them.  The energy level was very high (and not simply fueled by excessive Monday night drinking I should add).

I expect A Cocktail Party Social Experiment will catch on big and fast.  The actual game is expected to be produced later this year.  In the meantime, grab a seat and volunteer to share.  Or, better still, listen.  Allow people to talk without constant interruption.  Theater should always be a place to share fascinating stories and different perspectives.  Nearly every person I know – and those from our game nights especially – would find this experience both intellectually stimulating and extremely entertaining.

A Cocktail Party Social Experiment is currently scheduled for two more performances at Chelsea Music Hall on March 16 and April 13, 2020.

www.acocktailpartysocialexperiment.com

www.chelseamusichall.com

Two different solo performance pieces make up the double bill under the caption America Dreaming:  lovelust + disasterdrag.  The connective tissue between both acts is “overlapping themes of outrageous physical bravado and risqué showmanship celebrating individuality, resilience and the art-of-the-bathtub.”  That description is accurate.  Before dipping your toe in the water, understand that the temperature will vary from scalding to frigid.

As Long As It Lasts

Two chalkboards contain one hundred phrases written out.  They are enticing not unlike the smells from a great kitchen.  You want to try #64, “How My Shrink Terminated Therapy.”  #69 seems very important too.  It is simply called “Restraining Order.”  On the lighter side (or perhaps not) is #65, “Miserable Trash Bags.”

Eileen Kelly created and performs As Long As It Lasts.  Her recollections are “stories about me” with their “random meant-to-be-ness.”  Eric Borsuk will be the caller.  The bingo card in your program is meant to be played.  The timer is set for one hour.  The numbers called will provide the evening’s chosen material.  The concept is strong, the performance is often completely engaging and the bathtub on stage is dutifully employed.

Don’t worry about her bathtub antics, Ms. Kelly advises, “I’m just like a circus performer.”  Her balance skill are certainly impressive.  The stories, however, are the guts of this production.  Some are funny and some are sad.  Some are five minutes long and others much shorter.  “Married Man,” (#60) is about a Tinder date.  She admits, “I don’t have a moral compass.”

When things get serious, she offers a “privacy minute” in case someone from the audience would like to take a break rather than sit through a potentially triggering story.  That particular segment is memorably done.  She reflects on the #metoo movement noting, “I didn’t think it applied to myself.  It was all buried so deep inside.”

There is a casualness to this presentation which makes her one hundred story marathon giddy fun.  When Mr. Borsuk calls #18, she exclaims “Yay!”  Her energy is infective.  One of my favorite stories was #31, “Feeding the Pigeons.”  The description created a strong visualization and the punchline was excellent.

Occasionally, Ms. Kelly will artfully dance to tuneful songs written by her friend, Mike Errico.  The whole show is indulgent and clever in both design and execution.  One of her titles is “Post Menopausal Women Have Their Benefits.”  This kooky show is certainly one of them.

MUST GO ON

How to review a show where the performer stops to do so during the piece?  Garish is a word tossed out of the bathtub.  That adjective is defined as “obtrusively bright and showy, lurid.”  The choice is not incorrect.  Patrick Quinn created, directed  and stars in the mania MUST GO ON. Capital letters are essential here.

The show promises “a death defying 100 costume change blitz in 60 minutes.”  A silly concept is made leaden by the non-stop putting on and taking off clothes.  In this case, watching a sweaty, heaving, exhausted performer putting on multiple layers and then taking them off is incredibly boring time after time.

MUST GO ON features a “wild, off-duty drag queen fighting to survive a dance theater obstacle course of his own manic invention.”  Set to snippets of largely recognizable songs, I saw a crazed teenager playacting in their bedroom in front of a mirror.  He/she is not talented but driven.  Compelled to the spotlight.  Ingeniously, Mr. Quinn has a sidekick (Jeremiah Oliver) who dutifully does the hard work of supporting the bossy, egocentric star.

Our self-anointed diva dances, runs around, repeatedly flops on the floor, eats cantaloupe, does splits, changes costumes then rips them and makes a cupcake.  The effect is like watching an excessively emotive teenager on speed with no creative focus.  An inability to edit because every idea is seemingly a great one.  Interestingly, the sidekick emerges as a focal point.  I zeroed in on the making of the show and the herculean effort of keeping the train on the tracks.

There are moments that shine such as a blissfully lit dance pause on the bathtub.  The blindfolded, seemingly dangerous high heeled section is punctuated with a hilarious comment: “it’s a METAPHOR!”  At one point, Mr. Quinn writes a To Do list on the chalkboard.  “Slow Down Music” and “Fix Pants” are the first two.  It’s hard to disagree.  The third task is “Eat the Rich.”  Huh?  Nothing comes before or after which puts that phrase into any context whatsoever.

MUST GO ON is so completely frenetic that it pushed this viewer away.  Admittedly, that may be an intentionally aggressive choice.  The show is described as dealing with queer hate crimes using slapstick-misadventure as a “testament to queer resilience.”  Instead, I saw an individual’s neuroses which was the intellectually absorbing part of this exercise in whirling dervish lunacy.

The performance must physically hurt.  A lot.  A little less effort maniacally racing to the next blundered costume reveal and just a little more time getting deeper into Mr. Quinn’s brain would be welcome.  But that would cut down on the floor flopping, I guess.

As Long As It Lasts and MUST GO ON are separate shows being performed in repertory at the Cherry Lane Theatre through February 8, 2020.

www.cherrylanetheatre.org

Some people feel adventurous when they go to TKTS and choose a play rather than a musical.  Others venture off-Broadway.  Fewer make the time for developmental fare at smaller venues like the Tank and Dixon Place.  I have climbed stairs in Chinatown to see artists stage experimental works.  I will travel to Warsaw and see a British sex farce performed in Polish.  Truly adventurous New York theatergoers might Assemble in the hinterlands of Red Hook, Brooklyn to see something new.

Buying a ticket to this immersive and unique event requires trust.  The specific location is not identified until the day before the performance.  That is mysterious.  You also receive instructions to download an app and bring headphones to the venue.  After arriving, a secret code will unlock your journey.  Sit down and listen to instructions but keep your coat on.  Go outside and follow the story.  A warning informs there is “a little risk.”

I was fully engaged to see what Talya Chalef conceived.  Assemble invites you to join Jane as she considers life at the age of forty.  The app provides the direction and the voices will tell the story.  Billed as a “guerilla, choose-your-own adventure performance,” there are indeed certain choices you are asked to make.  Which way to go?  The choices should not be fretted over, however, as the story is generally the same for everyone.

A store will be visited.  You will be asked to interact with the environment.  At the beginning, Jane will ask “are you generation X, Y or Z?”  I am none of those but that is presumably the target audience.  In one vignette, I was asked to open something and I heard glass breaking.  A vacuum is turned on.  The spoken sentence, “I’m leaving.”

When the storytelling is sketchy and puzzling, Assemble is at it highest level of quirky fun.  Sometimes, however, you are asked to stare at a picture for minutes.  A train is rumbling.  Away?  Those slow moments can get tedious. Your guide will tell you to follow an arrow.  Then she’ll briefly become your therapist.  “What is the arrow for in your own life.”

A great deal of delightful humor peppers this experience.  One section is called “Tone it down and live it up.”  Here, your group gathers to decant whiskey and talk liberal politics.  Living and surviving in New York is a part of this journey.  Assemble will consider “life, death, babies, new cities” and then deadpan “so many choices.”  Many moments that Jane will have experienced by age forty will be pumped into your head.  Some are interesting, some are dull and one or two are, I believe, meant to be funny but come across as slightly offensive.

David Blackman developed the app for this experience and the technology works very well.  The voice over acting is very good (especially the fabulously droll sarcasm of the guide).  The idea for this theatrical adventure is certainly intriguing.  As I walked through this journey, however, my mind wandered and my focus waned.  There probably is less interactivity than needed which makes the promise of a “choose your own adventure” fall short.

Assemble has scheduled performance times through February 2, 2020.

www.assemble.brownpapertickets.com

Cezary Tomaszewski has created a “musically-driven queer fantasia” exposing the dangers of masculinity, nationalism and the culture of war.  La Mama is presenting the U.S. premiere of Cezary Goes to War in conjunction with the Polish Cultural Institute and Komuna//Warszawa, an independent avant-garde theater.  This work will be appreciated by theatergoers who enjoy a refreshing splash of humor mixed into their subversive societal commentary.

Poland’s military draft and its archaic system of male classification is the ripe target which is mercilessly skewered here.  Mr. Tomaszewski uses his personal experiences with the military draft to poke fun using music, text and dance.  Four men and one woman (the pianist) enter a locker room.  The classification begins in Polish with English surtitles.

Category A is a male of impeccable physical condition, height over five foot nine with a harmonious body build.  More specifics?  The perimeter of the shoulder when the bicep is tense should exceed the perimeter of the straightened forearm at its thickest point by 20%.  There are other measurements elaborated upon.   Lastly, no disfiguring tattoos.

Down the category list we travel until reaching the bottom letter E.  “Male, posture defective to a degree detrimental to body function.”  Diseases and deficiencies that qualify include extra ribs, crossed eyes, tongue deformity leading to speech impediment and, of course, androgyny.  The lists, especially for E, are quite funny and wittily presented.

Wearing aerobic gym clothes, the men will perform choreography inspired by army drills and calisthenics.  The routines are a workout and the men are sweaty by the end of the performance.  The vignettes include song and dance numbers composed by Stanislaw Moniuszko (the father of Polish National Opera) and also by Händel, Debussy and Shostakovitch.  The staging and use of a single piano reminded me of a school auditorium environment from my youth.

The routines continue and the critique of military recruitment is broadened to a more general commentary of definitions of manliness and the male identity.  In one section a sequence is repeated.  Each performer showcases a unique personality.  The smirks are revealing.  Some of these young men might be in the Category E classification!

These personal observations expand into a sharp criticism of national pride and machismo without ever losing the jocularity of the piece.  Mr. Tomaszewski’s direction is very effective at sustaining a playful tone.  As a result, the material is cleverly entertaining while ridiculing long-held belief systems.

A song is sung which translates as follows:  “When the sun is up/ when my helmet says good morning/ when my sword rattles in hand/ when I hear the horse’s neighing/ when the bugle calls/ oh! how happy he who these sounds and pleasures knows!”  The glories and memories of knighthood do not reflect any grim horrors of war.  The cast sings a lyric from Pink Floyd to punctuate the theme.  “So you think you could tell, heaven from hell?”

There is a loose story arc in Cezary Goes to War whereby Cezary applies to the Draft Board for a reevaluation of his classification.  All four dancers seem to represent Cezary or several variations of the artistic male.  The performances are energetic and communicative.  Their eyes knowingly wink at the humor and hypocrisy of a world which refuses to eliminate categorical boxes.

Early on, one says, “My name is Cezary Tomaszewski and I am musically gifted.”  This show satirizes the male gender stereotype by means of a slyly subversive amusement.  What clearly emerges is a celebration of the variants which make artistic expressions such as this one come to life.

Cezary Goes to War is being performed at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club through January 19, 2020.

www.lamama.org

Gun violence is the focus in the wildly experimental digital puppetry show, Fear in the Western World.  A couple and their daughter are looking for a new home.  They find one in Nesthaven, a gated community.  There are lots of problems outside.  A community website posts about the dangers.  At one point, we hear they’ve “got to build taller fences around Nesthaven.”

David Commander and Rob Ramirez have created this surrealistic horror movie laced with dark sarcasm, bizarre humor, American cultural references and nods to Greek mythology.  Three screens are used to project the puppet action being performed.  At first, they reflect the homes of the community.  The audience is then taken for a deep dive into the depths of this home and the darkness which lies within.

The time period is not firmly established (which may be intentional).  The home contains an amusing vending machine which shows digital images of both food and guns.  Many different guns are pictured as commentary on our society.  An odd scene transpires where food is belched out of the machine and consumed.  Images of Alex Jones and Info Wars are projected.  Through a pair of dahlia-covered glasses, the gardens look beautiful.  Looking outside the windows, however, suggests a bleak and gray landscape.  Is this a near future like tomorrow or a hundred years from now?

Daughter Missy is in trouble.  An intruder is in the house.  Dad grabs his gun and shoots.  Missy get shot.  Her worry?  “Is Dad mad at me?”  I assumed that was for being shot accidentally.  What is in this house, anyway?  The family decides to explore the eerie catacombs to find out.

The design of this show is very interesting.  The puppets are bodies with cell phone faces.  The actors use handheld devices to make their mouths move as lines are recited.  Small cameras project the action onto the large screens from small sets and props.  The set pieces are manually adjusted by the performers to dismantle rooms to make hallways which move the plot along.  The lighting design (Takaaki Ando) of the catacombs was particularly effective.

David Commander has written and directed Fear in the Western World.  He is also one of the three performers, along with Maria Camia and a drolly hilarious Nikki Calonge as the wife.  The three have a lot of physical work to do in addition to storytelling.  That gets in the way of continuity somewhat – a few extra hands moving walls might make scene changes less frantic.

There is an impressive amount of digital technology on display.  While the show is experimental and somewhat clunky in execution, the elements assembled suggest what futuristic theatrical presentations may become.  For Fear in the Western World to achieve its ambitious goals, however, the more mundane task of telling a story needs clarity and focus.

Too many disparate ideas are tossed into this one hour show.  A self-described “loose adaptation” of Phineas from Greek mythology appears and says, “God blinded me and made me homeless.”  Dad notes, “lucky for you, I’m a good guy with a gun.”  Trayvon Martin and other gun violence victim names are tossed into the atmosphere.  Marauding birds appear.  Everything comes together as a slapdash entertainment.

Immediate Medium produced this piece.  They describe themselves as “an anti-disciplinary artist collective committed to the creation of works that challenge formal distinctions between performance, dance, film and visual art.”  Co-presented by the Exponential Festival, the participants in this multi-artist, multi-venue January festival are committed to “ecstatic creativity in the face of commercialism.”

Creativity abounds in this production of Fear in the Western World.  A tighter grip on storytelling might make the show more commercial but, then again, it also might make it more enjoyable.

Fear in the Western World will be performed through January 19, 2020 at the Target Margin Theater in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

www.targetmargin.org

BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are two personalities who emerged from the Ru Paul’s Drag Race juggernaut.  Jinkx was the winner of season five.  DeLa is the only performer to have won five maxi challenges in a single season and also to have won Snatch Game twice.  If you know what that means, those are significant accomplishments.  If you don’t, it probably sounds idiotic.  It is – in the best way – which is why the Emmy Awards are piling up.  This holiday season they are touring in All I Want For Christmas is Attention.

As they will inform, “everyone is traumatized by Christmas.”  In this singing, dancing, comedy burlesque, these two very talented performers will focus on the negative about Christmas “rather than the fictitious.”  They ask serious questions such as “what the hell is wassailing?”  Both are very funny and the many costumes are sparkling or witty, or both.

The persona of Jinkx Monsoon is that of a substance addled boozer.  From a poor background, Christmas was never the one she saw on television.  They take Lorde’s song “Royal” and turn it into “Spoiled” to express their frustrations.  Jinkx’s grandmother passed down a recipe which “wound up being the number for the local Domino’s.”

At the other end of the spectrum is the self-described “terminally delightful” BenDeLaCreme.  In an interview, Benjamin Putnam said that he considers drag to be “an inherently political act.”  He views it as an opportunity to encourage people to think about complex issues related to gender and sexuality through humor and theater.  Adding religion to that outlook is the concoction these two co-creators have put into the punch bowl.

BenDeLa holds a glass and sings “when you wish upon a nog.”  The eggnog becomes the vehicle by which his dead Nana communicates from the beyond.  His childhood Christmas memories are happier ones than those of Jinkx.  In one of a number of well-done video clips, DeLa sits in front of a fireplace and shares her ideas for “festitaining.”

In the best drag shows, edgier fare shines brightest.  There is some mild blue humor sprinkled in for giggles.  Regarding Pfferernusse: “you can really taste the P.”  Neither performer’s character is too raunchy though.  The humor is much smarter than that.  When DeLa tells the story of Jesus, he starts with “Mary was just virgining around.”  She postulates the immaculate conception as potentially predatory by God.  What holiday song best fits this interpretation?  “Mary, it’s Cold Outside” is the hilarious answer.

Both make a few points about our culture of Christmas and the excess of consumption.  “Let’s not kill the Earth to celebrate Christ.”  I had forgotten that the classic holiday film White Christmas contained a Minstrel Show.  With their tongues planted firmly in cheek, a theory emerges.  Could it be that every religion is a cult?

The joyously silly All I Want for Christmas is Attention is a deftly conceived and professionally executed entertainment.  This show is for people who can embrace the spirit, see the hypocrisy and have a sense of humor.  If you are game, “cross your chest” and “shake your hips” because “everybody’s doing the Nativity Twist.”

All I Want For Christmas is running is various cities through December 29, 2019.

www.jinkxanddela.com