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A CurtainUp
Review
Stowaways
Overview of The Henson nternational Festival of Puppet Theater 2000, Schedule of Events
and Links to Other Shows
For this show first seen in 1996 Philippe Genty combines the magical transformations of noveau cirque with dance, mime, and five oddball performers. For good measure he throws a few puppets into the mix. Stowaways begins with an intriguing sequence of people turning into silhouettes and silhouettes turning into people, all against a monochrome background. For the remainder of the evening, short skits of varying cleverness flow from one to another. An armless Botero lady, an Ottoman lady with fez and a mysterious gentleman traveler engage in by-play, sometimes involving eating and biting. There is a talking kangaroo to keep the silent players company. A tawny tarpaulin can make people under it disappear and then give birth to others, among which a legless woman in a short, ruffled petticoat. After some false starts, the others manage to stick on some "real" fake burgundy legs they find in a carrier. A Michelin woman puppet gets into more than one compromising position with the players in turn. At the end a thin brown cover inflates to turn the stage into an undulating landscape. Disappearing and reappearing, everyone finally is whooshed away, and the deflated stage cover is sucked through a tiny hole in the center, making for a fittingly anticlimactic ending.
The raked, elevated stage of light wood holds a lot of secrets. Clearly there must be myriad trap doors and unseen hands to siphon off props and people after their moment ends. Phil Lethlean's lighting design works especially well in the beginning section; tricky black back panels and costumes have inherent wit. Ian McDonald's score is refreshingly acoustic for the most part. Mary Underwood's choreography is well-suited to the talents of dancer/mimes Fabrizio Chiodetti, Sonia Enquin, Meredith Kitchen, Abel Perraudin and Stéphanie Taillandier. Genty's humor has bite, but the performers' acting skills leave something to be desired. His cuteness too often gets in the way of the irony and great visual effects, along the lines of his Derives seen here in the Henson Festival in 1994.
STOWAWAYS
Performed by Compagnie Philippe Genty
Written and directed by Philippe Genty with Mary Underwood
Performers: Fabrizio Chiodetti, Sonia Enquin, Meredith Kitchen, Abel Perraudin and Stéphanie Taillandier
Choreography: Mary Underwood
Composer: Ian McDonald
Lighting: Phil Lethlean
Set and puppet design: Gili Hope, Martin Rezard and Olivier Boisson
Special effects: Nick van der Bosch
Costumes: Charline Baude and Eugènia Playoust
Stage manager: Cyril Pasquier/Martin Lecarme
Tech. managers: Loïs Darie, Pascal Laajili, Emma Scaife
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street, NYC
Performances: 9/19/2000 through 9/24/2000
Running time approximately 90 minutes
Reviewed by David Lipfert based on 9/23 performance |
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