Review: THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED at Constellation Theatre Company

Constellation Theatre Company begins their "Playtime for Grownups" 2015-2016 season with THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED, an evening that combines Lotte Reininger's 1926 film with an original score composed by Helen Hayes Award winner Tom Teasley. While there were interesting aspects to the evening, there were also factors that ultimately made me wonder what I was watching, and the motivation behind the screening.

Reininger's film chronicles various tales from Arabian Nights. The animation is composed of cut out silhouettes which move with impressive grace, and illicit audience reactions as well as any hand-drawn or computer-animated narrative. The film is an entrancing piece to watch, especially considering the work is almost 90 years old. The issue comes in following the story. All of the written parts are in German, with no subtitles, leaving several audience members looking at each other, or others attempting to translate for those around them.

Tom Teasley, a former artist-in-residence with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has taken the score of the film in a different direction by instead providing a world music soundtrack. His dexterity and control of his one-man setup are impressive, and the music accompanies the movie well.

At the conclusion of the evening, which featured a post-show discussion with Teasley, I left wondering what exactly I had experienced at Constellation Theatre's season opener. For film enthusiasts and those who have followed Teasley and Constellation Theatre, it could be a highlight. However, the evening just felt meant for a limited niche audience and not particularly noteworthy beyond that.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED was a limited engagement, running August 13th through the 15th at Source Theatre on 14th St.