Margo Raves for PERSEUS

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 11:58pm

I just came back from seeing "Perseus" which is playing Off-Off-Broadway at La Mama (one of the oldest and most important downtown theatres that has nurtured hundreds of playwrights and artists including Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson, Jean Claude Van Itallie, Tom Eyen, Israel Horowitz, Adrienne Kennedy, Charles Ludlam, Andre Serban, Harvey Fierstein et al for over 40 years, winning over 50 Obie Awards in the process).

Simply stated, it's one of the most dazzling shows I've seen this year.

It's a little difficult to describe, but it tells the ancient story of Perseus (as well as other related myths including the stories of Medusa and Andromeda) through music, modern and ethnic dance, mime, mask work, kabuki forms and incredible aerial work. Very little of the text (by the legendary Ellen Stewart herself, founder of La Mama) is in English (much of it is Greek), but that in no way detracts from this stunningly entertaining evening. There is a helpful scene by scene synopsis in the program, but more importantly, the story and characters are so clearly presented that you hardly need it.

It features a gorgeous original score (by Elizabeth Swados and others) which incorporated the music of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas performed by four extremely talented multi-instrumentalists.

The cast consists of nearly 30 astoundingly gifted performers (who hail from over 20 countries), adept at multiple forms of dance, singing, mime and acting, that manages to portray 71 characters in 52 breathlessly creative and inventive scenes.

The stagecraft throughout is eye-popping and magical in ways that Broadway shows with their multi-million dollar budgets can't begin to match. For instance, at one point Perseus turns Atlas into stone using the head of Medusa. Using an enormous white tarp, lighting effects and several men underneath holding umbrellas, we watch Atlas transformed in the blink of an eye into the mountain range that bears his name. Simply spectacular.

"Perseus" is the finest example of pure theatrical magic in town. Unfortunately, there's only one more performance of it, tomorrow afternoon. Definitely, go if you can -- it's truly one of the highlights of this or any season.

Running time: Roughly two hours (one intermission).
Ticket price: $20 -- the best bargain in town.

Updated On: 5/16/05 at 11:58 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 11:59pm

Sounds fabulous. How long will we have this opportunity for?

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 12:02am

Sounds wonderful.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 12:04am

Tomorrow is sadly the last performance.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 12:05am

What a shame! Would've loved to have seen it.

Returning home to New York this Thursday night for the summer. (Albright College's year has come to an end!) Really must get to the theater and see everything. Especially 'Virgina Woolf'. This sounded fascinating, wanted to add it to the list. Sadly... no.

Updated On: 5/15/05 at 12:05 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 12:14am

Margo, you're review reminded me of when I saw Steppenwolf Theatre's "Arabian Nights" and "Metamorphoses".

What a thrill.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 12:18am

PERSEUS is rather hard to describe, but yes, it's sort of in the same ballpark as METAMORPHOSES and ARABIAN NIGHTS. They all go back to the basics of what makes theatre great and universal. It goes beyond text into something truly transcendent, but human.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 1:45am

I just bought a ticket. I have no idea where the theater is, but what the heck. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention Margo- I know that despite my best intentions, I don't keep very good track of what's going on outside the big Broadway shows.

Two-show day, two-show day. Just what I need to celebrate the end of the semester.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 2:08am

La Mama is located on East 4th Street between 2nd and 3rd Aves. It's 4 blocks north of the Second Avenue stop on the F & V and also a short walk from the 8th Street stop on the N & R and the Astor Place stop on the 6. Enjoy!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 8:08am

Damn, how did I not know about this? If I didn't have a full day today and "The Apple Tree" tonight, I would be there. Well, I guess some things are just meant to be.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/15/05 at 11:50pm

Hey mef, you were at Apple Tree? I was...well, in back of you somewhere.

Luckily, I got to see the afternoon show of Perseus as well. Margo, thaks again for the recommendation. Zeus' descent in a shower of gold to seduce Danae was worth the price of admission by itself, and the show was filled with little thrills like that. Perseus' first flight, Medusa's seduction of Poseidon, all the fight scenes- they were wonderfully realized.

Out of the huge (and very multiracial) ensemble, some of the standouts in my mind were: Jt Netterville as Polydectes, who somehow managed to use a vocabulary of glares to say everything that needed to be said; Prisca Ouya, who had amazing presence as Andromeda; and Meredith Wright in her brief part as Medusa. Chris Wild also managed some great athletic feats and had the right golden-boy look for Perseus. It was a fun afternoon that could only have been improved with the duct-taping of the mouths of my seat neighbors. :)

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:00am

I'm SO glad you enjoyed it, Plum. It's such a shame it couldn't have had a longer run, but then I imagine Equity showcase rules (among other things) make such a huge spectacle like that unfeasible financially for an extended run. This show would have cost several times the ticket price had it been staged under a standard commercial contract.

I have friends on the staff of La Mama and I'll be sure to tell them to let me know if there's a return engagement of it sometime in the future (which occasionally happens), so I can give people more of a heads up to see it next time.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 8:18am

Plum, I was at THE APPLE TREE last night. I was in the orchestra. My review will be up shortly. Glad you enjoyed PERSEUS.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 10:05am

That sounds like it would have been right up my alley. Your description reminds me of some of the works presented at Lookinglass Theatre in Chicago.