“Medieval meets modern” in The Beastiary. Ars Nova’s company-in-residence On The Rocks Theatre takes a stab, literally, at slaying the monsters of nightmares and the evils of humankind in an apocalyptic smorgasbord of visual and aural stimuli. The overall impact is a mixed bag of admirably loony ideas confusingly presented.
The Greenwich House has been, once again, transported; this time into a silly, scary fun house. The stage is inside the mouth of a three-eyed beast with jagged, menacing teeth. Banners with coats of arms are hung around the room. The walls are dark with gold stars. You’ve seen this painting or read this depiction of the period. The setting conjures a delicious mouthful of anticipation.
An extraordinary musical score begins this production. Cornelius Loy plays the Theremin and sci-fi vibes will exquisitely set the mood. He is accompanied by Ellen Winter who adeptly plays an assortment of other instruments including a kazoo. While the show sometimes feels like a roller coaster with frequent lulls, the music is a high point from start to finish.
This pageant of the apocalypse is jam packed with ideas. The last human baby has been born into a world where beasts have reclaimed the Earth. Thirty years, nine months and six days of tribulation thereafter we travel to see the “last eight souls ever to walk this wild world”. So begins a long series of time adjustments which are part of a deadpan running joke yet also muddy the proceedings.
Puppetry is used to create the beasts referred to in the title. Giants, gryphons, demons and a lizard creature are employed to scare and also elucidate the thematic evils of mankind such as greed, elitism and the destruction of the environment. There is also a ridiculously memorable Blemmyae. That one was new to me. A headless blue giant with a man’s face on his chest sporting a large blue erection. This beastiary features a little bestiality. Is it funny or just bizarre? Probably both but you decide.
Weaving throughout this macabre goofiness is meta-like commentary like “before our stories begin their eclipse, a brief interlude is required, in which, through song and dance, a farmer learns his fate”. What follows is an inspired song about scavengers. We learn that these devils are not bad beings but truly serve an important purpose in promoting the decomposition of organic matter to save the world from decay and disease. The clever song, like other scenes in the show, hangs around a bit too long so the zaniness wanes.
The best performances chew the scenery (and other things) with relish. Special kudos for Rebecca Miller who fills the roles of the Queen’s Mum, merchant’s daughter, demon #2 and the child bride with vivid facial impressions and hilarious body language. Even her sections, however, suffer a little from the often rushed delivery of lines. Perhaps the words are not as important as the mood and visuals but you really have to concentrate to follow along.
The time changes are confounding as are some of the tonal shifts. The ending is visually memorable but shockingly serious. Who or what exactly impregnated the nun? We had many theories which made for good post-show banter. The Beastiary, as a whole, could benefit from some editing because there are stimulating and well-designed visual and aural moments which are often transporting.
The Beastiary is running downtown at the Greenwich House through November 9, 2024.