CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Review
Dance Nation
On the surface Dance Nation is a story about six tweenaged dancers (ages 11 to 14) who are going through the crucible of a national dance competition. Most of the action, takes place in a dance studio under the watchful eye of dance teacher Pat, who never lets them forget that the "Nationals" at Tampa Bay is only a month away. But Dance Nation is a good deal more than it seems at first blush, largely because Barron dares to use nonconventional casting for these very young characters. While it's not uncommon to have actors in their 20s play adolescents, Barron casts women whose age is anywhere from under 30 to 60 plus. No question it adds a surreal touch to Dance Nation, which the playwright, in a note in her script , describes as a "ghost play." Whether you buy into the authorial casting conceit or not, it does make it easier to follow the intent: to allow us to "see" not only the 13 year-old characters at age 13 but as the women they later become. This play isn't for the weak-stomached since the story telling includes a lot of blood and guts in the play. Case in point: After the opening Sailor Dance routine, you see the dancer Vanessa crumpled on the stage with her femur bone sticking through the skin. It's a grisly sight, even if the fake blood on her thigh has a plastic look to it. Does it sound like a strange way to begin a play about competitive dancing? Not really since it immediately underscores the reality that Injuries can happen to any dancer in a blink and sideline one from dancing — and one's dream. Beyond the blood and gore,however, there are tender moments. Perhaps the most affecting comes when we listen to Zuzu, the team's second-best dancer, describe how she once created a dance for her mother who had cancer, in hopes of curing her. ("My mom asked me to dance for her cancer. She saw a documentary about this woman who did a dance and it cured her cancer . . . "). I don't want to be a spoiler, but I can't resist sharing that Zuzu's monologue becomes an unforgettable reflection on the power and limitations of dance as well as on artistic talent itself. Ideas and emotions often blur as these tweens try to make sense of their world. The subjects they discuss include the SAT's (and how to nail the Math section), future careers, masturbation, menstruation, virginity (and the anxieties linked to it)— and, of course, dance with a capital "D." The immensely likable male dancer Luke (Ikechukwu Ufomadu), who occasionally joins in on the girls' discussions, is a vital presence in the play. Although he often is physically set apart from the girls, whenever he joins the female collective, he brings his honest male viewpoint to the table. And it always carries the ring of truth. There's much to enjoy in the ensemble acting. The always-amazing Thomas Jay Ryan, as Dance Teacher Pat, keeps his fledgling dancers on their toes in every sense of the word. Dina Shihabi, as the star dancer Amina, brings fervor and bite to her role. Eboni Booth, as second-best dancer Zuzu, summons a similar intensity but also projects the pain of forever living in Amina's shadow. And a special shout out to Ellen Maddow's Maeve whose fantasy about flight is both funny and transcendent. Arnulfo Maldonado's plain set and Barbara Samuels' flourescent lighting are perfect for this basically no-frills production.In the end Dance Nation escapes feeling like already explored territory. This is theater given a fresh edge and feeling. For the most part it works well enough to make it worth seeing—but preferably NOT by anyone as young as its characters. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES Dance Nation by Clare Barron Cast: Purva Bedi (Connie), Eboni Booth (Zuzu), Camila Cano-Flavia (Sofia), Ellen Maddow (Maeve), Christina Rouner (Vanessa / The Mom(s)), Thomas Jay Ryan (Dance Teacher Pat), Dina Shihabi (Amina), Lucy Taylor (Ashlee), Ikechukwu Ufomadu (Luke) Sets: Arnulfo Maldonado Costumes: Asta Bennie Hostetter Sound: Brandon Wolcott Lighting: Barbara Samuels Stage Manager: Erin Gioia Albrecht Playwrights Horizons at 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues). Tickets: $39-$89. Phone (212) 279-4200 or visit online at www.phnyc.org From 4/13/18; opening 5/09/18; closing 7/01/18. Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 & 7PM. Running time: 1 hour; 45 minutes with no intermission. Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan based on press performance of 5/04/18 REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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