Review: DANCING LESSONS at LIONWOMAN PRODUCTIONS

DANCING LESSONS from Mark St. Germain is a feel-good romantic comedy about a guy who is on the spectrum as he struggles to navigate a burgeoning relationship with one of his neighbors. She happens to be an injured Broadway dancer, and he needs to learn how to dance, so the stage is set for the sparks to fly. This is the second offering from LIONWOMAN PRODUCTIONS, who presented the wonderful PLAYHOUSE CREATURES at the MATCH last year. This show is on par with that, so the future looks bright for women who roar. And this one is a nice diversion from everything else happening in the world today. It’s a light–hearted and gentle piece that takes us back to 2014 in NYC. 

The show is a partner dance between actors Brad Goertz and Katrina Ellsworth. They play Ever and Senga, respectively. He is a high-functioning autistic scientific professor of geosciences who is about to win an award and needs help with dancing. The biggest surprise of the show is that it really only has a tangential relationship to anything showing dancing; as scripted, we would not see much. It is definitely not SHALL WE DANCE, but rather more LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM. Director Michelle Britton has wisely recruited dancer and choreographer Adrienne Shearer to add some sequences of her artistry that punctuate the play and give it just a bit more movement and musicality. The chemistry between Brad Goertz and Katrina Ellsworth weaves the rest of the magic.  

Somehow, Brad Goertz has figured out how to change his entire look for this show. The actor is almost unrecognizable as Ever because he loses himself so deeply in every aspect of a man with Asperger’s. His vocal delivery, his stance, and his motions all reflect a commitment to this role that helps him create a wholly realized person. It’s a marvel of a performance. Katrina Ellsworth likewise falls into Senga, who is simmering in her own grip of suddenly being disabled by a leg injury. She physicalizes all of this so well that it is hard not to see her without a limp at curtain call. They both mine these characters for the beauty of their struggles, and they make a truly wonderful couple that you root for. Adrienne Shearer’s dance interludes add some heft to Senga’s journey. 

Michelle Britton seems to be an actor’s director, and DANCING LESSONS allows her artists to be showcased for what they do best. You get a sense that her assured hand simply guided everyone into the right notes, and she orchestrates this truly lovely play. Hayley Christensen’s sound design truly helps the narrative as well. From cunning music choices to the sounds inside Ever’s head as he grapples with sound, it’s a nuanced design that works well. Edgar Guajardo’s set and lights are fully realized and feel lived in with several small touches audiences should seek out. This is a strong show technically.  

My only real gripe with DANCING LESSONS is that it feels very much aimed at an audience that has no idea about what autism is or how it affects people. A lot of Ever’s explanations feel a bit like a lecture, but perhaps that is intuitively part of his professor role. The thing it absolutely gets right is the idea that we all struggle, autism or not. It’s how we navigate that is where true beauty lies. Watching Senga and Ever try to work through what is wrong with them makes us realize that we’re rightfully “on the spectrum” as well, at least to some degree. Walking in these characters’ shoes is a transformative and comforting experience. It’s romantic and heartfelt. I felt like I needed that right now, and I would guess most of us do these days. 

DANCING LESSONS is simply a great romance and a heart-warming comedy. This company fully realizes a vision about how close we all are in our own struggles, and it asks for kindness and compassion. I can’t think of anything the world needs more of now than these things. It’s wonderfully acted, beautifully designed, expertly danced, and wholly human. I think it is well worth the price for the lesson.