DV8 Physical Theatre's Just for Show is all about illusions. In the program, the company quotes famed Austrian psychologist Otto Rank: "To be able to live, one needs illusions."
DV8 delivered brilliantly.
On the stage of the National Theater the company erected a separate stage, complete with a red curtain. DV8's talked-about technical wizardry was visible in its two-dimensional and three-dimensional projections shot onto the second stage, filling it with waves of flowers, clouds, black and white text, swirls of colors, dancers and the grey-white static of a TV after a station has gone off the air. Sometimes it was hard to differentiate which were the real dancers and which were the projections, what was taking place on the second stage and what wasn't, which of course, was the point.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DV8 PHYICAL THEATRE
Also broken was the illusion that what happens onstage is a world removed from the audience. The cast moved back and forth between the second stage and the front of the theater's stage and repeatedly came down to interact with the front row of the audience. Most of the dialogue was also directed at the audience.
The company insisted in all its press materials that the Just for Show would be run straight through, with no breaks and that latecomers would not be admitted. This proved to be yet another illusion, for not only were dozens of latecomers seated -- about 10 minutes into the show -- but such an interruption was factored into the program.
Tanja Liedtke stopped mid-plie, arms arched over her head, in the middle of her dialogue, to welcome the latecomers. Amid much laughter from those who had been on time, Liedtke graciously told the latecomers that it was all right, come on in, sit down, enjoy themselves, don't worry -- her words belying the awkwardness of her pose. I bet those people will be on time the next time they go the theater.
Speaking of dialogue, it's hard to think of another dance performance with so much talk. Witty, snide, topical and multilingual, Liedtke used English, German, Spanish and threw some Mandarin in for good measure -- along with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (
She wasn't the only one. In a later skit, Paul White also used Mandarin when he asked the audience for help in taking photos of himself as he contorted himself into a variety of strange poses, smiling each time the flash went off.
It was quite impressive when you think that the performers will have to learn their lines in several more languages and change the names in the opening monologue in each city before the company's tour is over at the end of the year.
It's hard to imagine that anyone will forget White anytime soon -- it's hard to do a good Elvis impersonation at any time, much less to croon when you are standing on your hands.
Contortions and flexibility were two words that came to mind repeatedly during the show. Liedtke twisting her incredibly flexible body into a variety of complicated yoga poses, all the while smiling broadly -- and talking a mile a minute.
Also notable was the flexibility of the costumes. T-shirts were stretched, rolled up, rolled down, pulled over the head and across the shoulders as jeans and other pants were equally mobile. The red dress worn by Kylie Walters was also remarkably stretchable -- and worth a footnote in its own right.
Walters appeared as equally stretchy as her dress in her duets. Somehow, using the ballet term pas de deux for what DV8 does seems so wrong. In, around, rolling under, being tossed over a shoulder, Walters' limbs appear as pliable and malleable as those of a Gumby doll.
Also outstanding was Matthew Morris, although most of his dancing took place amid the swirlings of the video projections, so it was harder to see his face and make sure it was him.
The first three-quarters of the show was definitely stronger than the final pieces. But as a whole, Just for Show was satisfying and achieved the goal of having the audience talking about what they had seen afterwards.
DV8's final illusion came after the show was over. The cast came out to take their bows, and then moved down into the audience to shake hands, moving through the rows and toward the back doors of the theater. Then they exited, leaving the audience sitting in their seats for several minutes, unsure whether the performers would return for more bows or whether it was time to leave themselves. A bit of looking around, a bit of nervous laughter ... and then everyone got up and filed out.
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