Pericles Redux
Mere words cannot fully express the awesome and riveting spectacle of Not Man Apart’s loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic odyssey. With its limited run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, one should scroll past my enthusiastic diatribe and reserve tickets for this rare, unforgettable evening of postminimalist infused theatrical dance that is as sensually provocative as it is absurdly delightful.
Don’t let the title of the play intimidate you. “Pericles Redux” is just that, a revisioned, broad-stroked embellishment of the text made highly accessible for all audiences. Relying heavily on interpretative dance, a moody, repetitive score and spellbinding tableaus, the tragicomic tale of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” is beautifully wrought through carefully woven vignettes and fantastic archetypal images further illuminated by Randy Brumbaugh’s stunning light design.
The story glides and soars through the play’s vivid aspects—particularly in the first act—with three bald, shirtless and sexually oozing Fates at the helm, exquisitely guiding the action. The play may be Pericles, but it truly belongs to these three sinewy Fates (Vincent Cardinale, Jones Welsh and Dash Pepin).
From one misfortune to another, Pericles is oft times shipwrecked, both emotionally and physically. The ubiquitous Fates loft him in midair as he twists and writhes in suspended torture losing his Queen at sea and later, his daughter in a murderous plot gone awry. By the play’s end all is set to rights with the aid of the goddess Diana in a marvelous reunion. The concluding choreography rewinds the main events in an extraordinary frenzy of calculated timing and erotic splendor for a triumphant finish.
With most of the cast playing dual roles, each reflexively spins from outrageous jest in the tone of Monty Python to heart wrenching emotional pathos. Just when one begins to think it’s getting a bit too serious; a sly wink from Diana or madcap pirates keeps the show from more than eye-candy artifice.
When the Fates are not the main thrust of the show, other dance sequences stand out, more for their humor than their grace. The outrageous wooing competition between testosterone charged knights is unabashed silliness, but staged as rigorously as any serious combat scene. The courtship dance milks a joke, yet its relentlessness is infectious.
The dramatic dance sequences are equally as engaging; from the terrifying shipwreck to the grieving scene when Pericles believes his daughter is dead. Both create effective, moving performances with only their bodies to convey the message. The dream sequence with Diana, Goddess of the Hunt is spectacular and all share a smaller scale Cirque de Soleil quality.
Having received critical acclaim from the British press—garnering Five Stars at its opening last year in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival—director and performer of the titled role, John Farmanesh-Bocca brings this “smashed together” production of innovative minimalism and anthropomorphic physicality with a little extra star power of three-time Emmy Award winning Jennifer Landon, daughter of the late Michael Landon. Much like her dual roles on As the World Turns, Landon proves she has the chops and the pipes, playing both Queen Thaisa and her daughter, Marina, with a vibrant energy and tremendous range.
Every cast member is par excellence, in whichever role. Alex Angelis is Greek loveliness as Diana, and downright bawdy as a grunting whore. Young Marina is briefly, but sweetly portrayed by Rachel McGuiness. Arnell Powell, Randolph Rand and Carvell Wallace lend a commanding majesty to their royal characters. In the role of scheming Dionyza, Ashley-Nicole Sherman simmers and sizzles as she strides. Alexander Rogers, the keyboard toting Simonides, seems strung like a marionette with his nimble, long legged gait and his exaggerated caricature. Michael Buffo and Jonathan David Martin ably round off this versatile cast.
Farmenesh-Bocca is this show’s triple threat: lead actor, director and choreographer, which in less capable hands might come across as downright hubris, but under his sharp eye for sweeping storytelling and ingenious use of space, physically and technically, Farmenesh-Bocca’s collaborative spirit reveals him as a genuine Renaissance man. His Pericles is devastatingly charming and properly empathetic, aged simply but effectively in the second act.
But the Fates truly have it here. Cardinale, Welsh and Pepin perform Herculean feats of strength and stamina, acting as fulcrums, bases, and body jugglers throughout while producing memorable cameos.
If you are still reading this I can only hope that you’ve already made reservations to see this rare gem that will have you saying “Wow!” every ten minutes or so after leaving the theatre.
“Pericles Redux”
Runs through July 26
Wed & Fri at 8pm
Sat at 2 and 8pm
Sunday at 2 and 7pm
Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd.
Culver City
Ph: 213-628-2772
www.periclesredux.com