TheatreSeattle.com:
|
Saturday, February 25, 2004
|
Life: A Guide To the Perplexed at ACT
Reviewed by Christopher Comte
For most men, middle age is a time for taking stock, for reflecting on one's accomplishments, and for ticking off all the items completed on the "Big List Of Things I'm Going To Do With My Life" before settling into the twilight years of old age and eventual oblivion. Unfortunately, this process makes most middle-aged men acutely aware of the fact that the list of things done is usually far shorter than the list of those yet to do. And considering how much less time there is left in which to do them, it invariably triggers a frenzy of post- adolescent behavior commonly referred to as "the midlife crisis"; generally manifested by irresponsible behavior, illicit affairs, impulsive sports car purchases, and radical changes in personal wardrobe. What it generally doesn't entail is sequestering oneself in a small Italian village to write a performance piece that includes heavy doses of juggling.
Yet, this is exactly what Paul Magid (AKA "Dmitri Karamazov") did this past summer during a family sojourn to a small town in the heart of the Italian peninsula. Forsaking the insistent urgings of his wife and children to visit the great art centers just a short train ride away, he instead found himself cajoled by the locals into putting on a little show. Using as his inspiration the 12th Century Jewish philosopher Maimonedes' famous text, "A Guide For Today's Perplexed", which among other things attempts to explain the confusing, often seemingly contradictory tenets of Talmudic law, Magid composed a light-hearted, enjoyable meditation on what it means to become middle-aged, and how to get through it more-or-less unscathed.
Running the gamut from birth-to-death, Life focuses on the trials of mature adulthood, told from the perspective of a man (Dmitri) who, rather than becoming wiser as he ages, finds that things become even more befuddling with each passing moment. In seeking answers to these riddles and conundrums he is presented with "The Book" (pronounced "BOO-k", in the manner of Paul McCartney's irascible grandfather from A Hard Day's Night), a wise-cracking, sardonic talking compendium of his life experience, which with the help of a cast of oddball characters from history, including the Babylonian lawgiver Hammurabi (given a "Homestar Runner" inspired nasal inflection by Roderick "Pavel" Kimball), an annoyingly insistent Hindu storyteller (Mark "Alexi" Ettinger), and even Satan (Howard Jay "Ivan" Patterson), offers lessons, rules and advice on how to cope with the various stages of his existence.
The episodic structure shares certain similarities to previous excursions into this territory, notably Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, and Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (referenced in a hilarious opening song-and-dance number performed by a group of forlorn gametocytes sperm cells to you and me). Yet, like most of their recent collaborations, Life is more than just an excuse for the Karamazovs to indulge in their silly, audience-pleasing antics. Magid and his "brothers" bounce (literally) through portions of Maimonedes' text, as well as similar parables from classical literature (Jacques' "Seven Ages Of Man" speech from Shakespeare's As You Like It, and Vishnu's courtship of Indira from the Hindu epic Mahabharata) all of which serve to illustrate issues ranging from careers, parenthood, financial responsibility, unfulfilled ambitions, even death subjects sure to resonate with those audience members in their 40's and beyond.
As interesting and amusing as the philosophical ponderings may be, the piece is designed primarily as a framework for the Karamazovs considerable comedic talents with all manner of juggling implements. Anyone who has previously encountered their work will immediately recognize several signature bits, including "The Gamble" (wherein the audience contributes all manner of objects blocks of ice, wire baskets, chains and the like -- in an attempt to defy Dmitri's juggling abilities), and the intricate musical stylings of the "jugglatron", a rolling drumbox contraption played naturally with juggling pins. But, despite these tangential forays into familiar territory, what is most impressive is the way the brothers K seamlessly incorporate their throwing skills into the piece, using the physical act of juggling as a metaphor for the various forms of mental and emotional juggling the rest of us perform on a daily basis. Even when the bits don't come off flawlessly (one of The Book's admonitions: "Everybody drops."), there's the all-too- familiar sense of life compelling us to pick up after a fumble and carry on regardless; which pretty much defines adulthood as experienced by the middle-aged.
While not actors per-se, the Karamazov's are nevertheless completely engaging multi-talented performers who prove to be equally as adept with musical instruments as they are with juggling paraphernalia, and much of their aerial work is infused with a musical sense of rhythm. Conversely, their musicianship carries a juggler's sensibilities, as when they perform while each plays one half of their neighbor's instrument, with the two free hands at either end tossing balls back-and-forth. In fact, Life incorporates significantly more song- and-dance than previous FKB productions, and Karamazov alum Michael Preston's direction, along with choreography by Doug Elkins know how to play to the brother's strengths. Scenic design by Seattle artist Bliss Kolb provides a versatile set of rolling skyscraper units, which ingeniously unfold to create a variety of locales. Barbara Karger also contributes some wildly imaginative puppet creations, particularly an entire army of life-sized Hindu warriors for the show's finale.
Life: A Guide To The Perplexed doesn't really resolve any of the deeper questions it ponders, and perhaps that's the point. What it does remind us of is that all too often serious-minded adults become so bogged down in the day-to-day concerns of living and dying that we overlook the simple joy of experiencing each moment as it occurs and discovering whatever pleasure it contains. Even if we occasionally "drop the pin", the relative insignificance of a tiny failure pales in comparison to the inestimable miracle of being alive to even make the attempt. And what better guides to lead us through the jungle of perplexity than the ebullient, ball-bobbling brothers Karamazov?
Life: A Guide To The Perplexed plays at ACT's Falls Theatre through 21 March
|
| |
|
|
