The thing that drives me crazy about theater/live performance, is that it is inherently NEVER PERFECT, or rather, it highlights and revels in everything that is imperfect about being human. Of course this is where the beauty of performance lies as well -- spaces between the elements/layers that allow room for spontaneous, magical experiences. Performers hit the stage every night with a different body, a different energy, and a different audience; even within a set structure the event that coalesces can blossom into a different creature every time.
But then there is the grappling with the impossible, that can cause someone like me to develop an ulcer or burst a blood vessel in my head.
Basil Twist's Dogugaeshi is one of those shows that valiantly and beautifully wrestles with the imperfect that verges on the impossible. Commissioned by Japan Society, it premiered there in 2004, and it's back for a remount before it tours to Japan next month. It is, hands down, a unique show and beautiful -- comprised of probably about 100 gorgeously painted sliding screens set in complex systems of frames, Twist as his 3 puppeteers unravel a journey of images from old and new Japan. Once in a while a white fox puppet appears and interacts with the sliding and dividing pictures adding a lot of charm to the piece (interesting to note the audiences need/desire for a recognizable "character"). It is not only constantly changes images, though, that inspire awe. The multi-layered soundscape full of fun, surprising montages and live shamisen/koto improvisation by Yumiko Tanaka (amazing woman) and the elegant projection design (Peter Flaherty, who seems to have a monopoly on this kind of work) work in confluence with the screens for this potentially mind-blowing experience.
I say potentially because, well, it is clear, without a doubt, that this is a very special, unique work of art, but having seen probably a dozen performances of it, I don't think I've seen it executed perfectly. And ok, so what is "perfection" in this kind of work? For one thing, the physical execution of a very complex sequence of moving objects. It is a fact that physical objects are clumsy. But, unlike the volatile energy and emotional states of a living breathing actor, the objects' characteristics are more predictable and reliable and consistent. So on one hand it seems perfectly possible to expect inanimate objects to achieve perfection in a way that living breathing humans cannot.
Actually in the week it's taken me to write this darned post, the show has really blossomed -- as if these painted panels are now breathing. Pretty darned amazing. Showing for two more nights. Sold out, but you should try to get waitlisted.
I say potentially because, well, it is clear, without a doubt, that this is a very special, unique work of art, but having seen probably a dozen performances of it, I don't think I've seen it executed perfectly. And ok, so what is "perfection" in this kind of work? For one thing, the physical execution of a very complex sequence of moving objects. It is a fact that physical objects are clumsy. But, unlike the volatile energy and emotional states of a living breathing actor, the objects' characteristics are more predictable and reliable and consistent. So on one hand it seems perfectly possible to expect inanimate objects to achieve perfection in a way that living breathing humans cannot.Actually in the week it's taken me to write this darned post, the show has really blossomed -- as if these painted panels are now breathing. Pretty darned amazing. Showing for two more nights. Sold out, but you should try to get waitlisted.
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