Pianist Nathan Carterette, Sonja Gable, and Dane Toney (Joshua Sweeney Photography)
By Chloe Kinnahan
Attack Theatre has once again pushed the limits of movement, objects, and space in their latest performance, The Rube Goldberg Variations at the New Hazlett. Combining inspiration from famous 20th century cartoonist and inventor, Rube Goldberg, and the music of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Attack Theatre has created a lively, and deeply thoughtful, performance.
The sets, costumes, and character created by the artists wove together to make the audience feel almost as if they were in a fun, whacky, but meaningful cartoon coming to life before our eyes. Pianist Nathan Carterette and bassist Maria Macarena perfectly provided the musical accompaniment, tying the performance together. While the show used Bach’s music, it also utilized stunning original works by conductor and composer Flavio Chamis and composers Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer.
Variations was a complicated machine in itself, featuring complex partnering work and beautifully executed timing. The constant flow of communication between artists as they lifted, threw, spun, and wiggled was impressive and necessary to the complex goals of the show. The artists challenged the audience to examine the various ways in which objects can be used—a table as a door, an
Simon Phillips and Kaitlin Dann in rehearsal (Robert Kromos Photography)
umbrella as a telescope, a yoga mat as a blanket— causing us to step outside of conventionality in true Rube Goldberg fashion.
Co-founders and directors Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope explained to the audience before the show that they based their movement off of the simple foundations in Goldberg’s work; the shape of a circle, a line, a squiggle, and a drop, and even had the audience participate in some minor choreography to demonstrate how these shapes can be a basis for so much more. The dancers, Kaitlin Dann, Simon
Kaitlin Dann in rehearsal (Robert Kormos Photography)
Phillips, Dane Toney, Isabella Bergamin, and Sarah Zielinski, not only shared their impressive movement skills with the audience but also came together as a unit, full of character, wackiness, emotion, and a childlike sense of curiosity in the best of ways. The choreography was chalk full of energy and sort of an unsynchronized synchronicity (a perfect balance)… waving in and out of moving together at the same time, and moving separately yet still somehow very much with each other.
Simon Phillips in rehearsal (Robert Kormos Photography)
Dane Toney in rehearsal (Robert Kormos Photography)
We get to know the characters of “the neighbors” in an incredible theatrical element to the show that added a narrative about communication, disagreement, and the navigation of relationships. Played wonderfully by Mark Conway Thompson and Carolina Loyola-Garcia, the neighbors exemplify something that most everyone can relate to–petty disagreements and neighborly disputes. The set depicting the neighbor’s duplex was expertly done and gave the feeling of really peaking into someone’s life while also including fun little details like springing flowers and a clothing line!
The performance features many small looks into their lives, culminating in the final minutes of the performance with the dispute to end all disputes… ending in a heartwarming truce
Left to right: Sarah Zielinski, Dane Toney, Sonja Gable and Simon Phillips (Joshua Sweeney Photography)
between neighbors. Meanwhile, the dancers scurry around in excitement building a real life Rube Goldberg machine, live and in action, with the coordination of a well tuned machine! Although the entire show was very enjoyable, this final scene provided the perfect excitement to wrap it all up. These final minutes were incredibly fun and I think gave everyone a little bit of nostalgia to being a kid… finding fascination in the littlest things. Attack Theatre’s performance would have made Rube Goldberg proud.
For tickets and more information, visit Attack Theatre’s site.
Categories: Archived Reviews