|
|
|
|
|
Diavoloissimo! If that's not a word, it should be. Devilish, daring, unpredictable, turning the coin on its side. That's the troupe extraordinaire known as Diavolo. The first hint that something different was afoot came when Brett Batterson, Executive Director of the Auditorium Theatre and Jacques Heim, Artistic Director of Diavolo, stepped in front of the curtain to introduce the show. A few moments of self-effacing humor, and improvised remarks ending with the admonition to have "…fun, otherwise I'll come and spank you silly," was unlike any other introduction I'd ever heard. Then, as the lights turned to twilight and the techno thrum of insistent machines built tension among those who waited, the performance began. Knockturne (2006) Section One: "Night" Section Two: "Day" Guest Creative Collaborator for Music and Dramaturgy: Paul James Prendergast Set Design and Construction: Roger Webb, Shawn Ellis, Cinnabar, Mike McCluskey Lighting Design: Alain Jourdenais Costumer: Caesareo Ruiz Flanking the sides of the stage, two framed-out doors stood as the set for Knockturne. Ironic metaphor and expressive movement, capsulized the humorous difficulties of a couple trying to connect romantically with each other. As the doors opened and closed in the spirit of classic farce, the pair missed each other like unawakened dreamers. With a kiss, as a little night music played, romance turned silly and the sight gag of petite Briana Bowie played against Jones Welsh's height. "Section One" dissolved into "Section Two" as clearly as day follows night when Miss Bowie let down the gathered panels of her skirt, climbed onto Mr. Welsh's shoulders, creating a Mother Ginger effect, and they made their way through a cloud strewn landscape to exit yet another door at the back of the stage. But wait a mo'! Those weren't clouds after all; they were pillows among which the rest of The Company slumbered. Awakening, they too pursued one another through a prepositional collection of body movement using the doors as props: above, beside, beyond, next to, over and through. Blending dance, gymnastics, tai chi, and wit, Knockturne segued into further visual punning as The Company spied on one another through giant keyholes in the doors. As the pace of the frenzied movement increased, doors were stacked into a pyramid and the first couple still tried to connect with each other. The music pumped from Tom Waits-like gravelly singing to the seductive sounds of a tango bandoneón and then, as high school chaperones used to say, "It's all fun and games until…" Knockturne ended with a storm of feathers from The Company's pillow fight. Apex (1998)Performed by Renee Larsen, Jones Welsh Apex was a bit of lagniappe added to the program in place of a 5 minute pause. The performers, degendered by hooded white jumpsuits and not counting Ms. Larsen's red lipstick, used two large aluminum ladders as their physical props for this piece. As they used the high-pitched language of clowns (Ow! Hey! Ohhh!) they struggled with the ladders, each other and themselves to find their places and balance. This piece should have been introduced with a caveat: Kids, don't try this at home! D2R-A (1995, re-worked 2005)Performers: The Company Set Design: Daniel Wheeler Set Construction: Daniel Wheeler Lighting Design: Evan Merryman Ritter Costume Design: Laura Brody A steeply raked board with pipes jutting from it at regular intervals was the ominous set for D2R-A. Costumed in tanks and loose pants similar to army wear, The Company ran full tilt around one another and the board. Heaving themselves against the wall, they bounced off and attacked it from other positions. Try slurring the title, D2R-A to hear that "detour" is another of Jacques Heim's commentary puns. As they stormed over the top and slithered between the pipes in every imaginable variation of form, the ten performers did not so much seem to be individuals as parts of an interlocking device or figures meshing together as in an M.C. Escher tessellation. Relentless music like a sacrificial imperative at an ancient Mayan ritual, drove the performers to ever more frantic cycles of movement without any recognizable goal achieved. Trajectoire (1999)Performers: The Company Set Design: Daniel Wheeler Engineering: Dan Williams Set Construction: Mike McCluskey Ltd. And Daniel Wheeler Lighting Design: Daniel Ionazzi Costume Design: Meegan Godfrey Original Music Composition: Nathan Wang Beginning calmly enough with figures silhouetted against a demi-lune, the shape was quickly enough seen to be the hull of a boat as the lights came up and The Company climbed aboard. This set was an amazing piece of construction used as metaphor and appliance for increasingly energetic and risk-taking choreography. Individuals mounted the deck, steeply canted, pitching and heaving, powered by the kinetic force of the bodies. Performers undeniably in harm's way with the slightest miscalculation, slipped between the rails of the deck at high speed, caromed from side to side as if tempest tossed, lay down before the juggernaut, and launched themselves in breathtaking leaps of faith into waiting arms. This was Diavolo's first visit to Chicago and it is hoped the Auditorium will be an annual stop on their tour schedule. The unique performance vision of the team makes them a compelling act to catch. No spankings to have fun needed here!
Artistic Director: Jacques Heim Associate Artistic Director, Manager: Garrett Wolf Rehearsal Director: Renee Larsen Education Outreach Director: Carrie Green Video Archivist: Melinda Ritchie Costume Manager: Crystal Zibalese Business: Marah Morris Production Manager: Eduardo Estrada Lighting Designer: Evan Merryman Ritter Lighting Director: Alain Jourdenais Technical Assistant: David Zibalese The Company: Ken Arata, Briana Bowie, Philip Flickinger, Becca Greenbaum, Renee Larsen, Melinda Ritchie, Jones Welsh, Garrett Wolf, Crystal Zibalese, David Zibalese Public Relations: Jill Evans of Carol Fox & Associates All Choreography by The Company, under the direction of Jacques Heim Educational Outreach: Polk Bros. Foundation
Diavolo in D2RA Photo © & courtesy of Elazar Harel |
|
Diavolo in KnockTurne Photo © & courtesy of Elazar Harel |
|
Diavolo in Trajectoire Photo © & courtesy of Elazar Harel |
|
|
|