Pig Iron’s “Mission” and Lantern’s “Novocento:
Two Approaches to Life to Warm A Cold February
Maybe it’s Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or just broken New Year’s resolutions, I tend to reflect a bit on the meaning of life this time of year. It might be lack of Mardi Gras revelry or just the freak’in weather, but I do start to wonder about what is happening in the world and is there a better way.
Opening this past weekend and running through March 4th at Drexel University’s Mandrell Theater, Pig Iron’s Mission to Mercury is certainly an antidote for the Mardi Gras blues. Mission to Mercury is a seventy-minute acid trip that explores what happens when the theater gremlin or ghosts (or whatever they are) take over a theater and fill it with the music of Queen. The audience enters through the scene shop taking their seats in a black box space while in front of and around them, two slightly out-too-lunch techies, who are electronically and electrically dependent and connected by walkie talkies, set the stage for a performances. Reminiscent of Pig Iron’s brilliant Cafeteria (what does goes on in a school Cafeteria when there’s nobody there?), Mission to Mercury depicts a theater world gone mad that is taking the hapless stage hands captive. Starring in this hysterical piece of dance/theatre are Gabriel Quinn Bauridel, Sarah Doherty. Christie Parker, Geoff Soebelle, James Sugg, Bradford Trojan, and Dito van Reigersberg and directed by Dan Rothenberg.
The action of Mission starts in the audience where some of the seating area is declared unsafe by the techies with asides like “That whole side is rotten and will fall through any moment.” As they pull on to the stage two rock stars or stage dummies, the gremlins come to life and take over. In classic Pig Iron style narrative gives way to impulse and ridiculousness abounds. The gremlins reveal the audience is actually sitting on the stage as all sorts of clowning, singing, flute, guitar and accordion playing, cross-dressing, dance and movement, and mime commence. Geoff Sobelle looks great in red sequins and wig playing the flute while standing on a row of theater seats; and he does seem happier after he surrenders to the craziness and then is reunited with his stagehand partner.
What’s it all about? That’s the wrong question to ask for this production. Like Mardi Gras, Mission To Mercury demonstrates that beautiful images, hysterical clowning, and the joy of the ridiculous can make for a full evening of enjoyable theater and a great lesson on the importance of silliness. For tickets, go to the Pig Iron web site (www.Pigiron.org) or call 215-267-1883. If you go, you’ll enjoy some of the best clowning movement/abstract theatre around and there’s nothing else quite like it.
Every Mardi Gras has its Ash Wednesday, which while somber, can be equally as beautiful and refreshing to the human spirit. It helps us assess where and who we are, where we’ve been, and why. Fulfilling this role for me theatrically this February is The Lantern Theatre’s production of Alessandro Baricco’s Novocento. This new play challenges our understanding of free choice, home, safety, and the immensity of our world. Brilliantly directed by one of Lantern’s resident directors, Dugald MacArthur, the show relates the mythical fable of Danny Broodman T.D. Lemon Novocento, who was found as a newborn on top of the grand piano aboard a luxury liner, The Virginian. Adopted and raised by a ship musician, Novocento grows up to become The Virginian’s pianist, who can hold his own against Jelly Roll Morton, but who never leaves the ship. Dubbed Novocento, a name invented by his father by default, boiler man Danny Broodman, the foundling becomes the world’s greatest pianist of the open seas. The one time he attempts to disembark, the choices that life on land offers overwhelm him. He cannot leave the immense security of the sea and he accepts his fate by imagining and relinquishing each of his desires in a Buddhist-like detachment.
Novocento is a serious theatergoer’s must-see! Starring as all the characters, but primarily the narrator and Novocento’s fellow musician, Tim is Frank X, who delivers the monologue in a Barrymore Award caliber performance. With his energy, fluidity, vitality, variety, clarity and wisdom, Frank X is irresistible to the audience. For an hour and ten minutes, he never leaves the stage. Yet the show seems to run for a couple of minutes, and yet last forever thanks to Macarthur, Frank X with a nod to Nick and Janet Embree for evocative scene design, Kathryn C. Nocero for jazz age costumes, and Janet Embree and David O’Connor for tightly focused and poetic lighting. “Novocento” ends next Sunday, February 26th. If you miss this one, you’ll have missed one of the finest performances of the season. Tickets available at www.lanterntheater.org or (215) 829-9002.
With Mardi Gras (February 28th) and Ash Wednesday (March 1st) upon us, perhaps the combo of Pig Iron’ Mission to Mercury and the Lantern’s Novocento, can help us make some sense of it all.
Mission was a lot of fun! So next on the list has to be Novocentro
Posted by: PhillyFred | February 23, 2006 at 09:50 AM