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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Lift Going Up By Julia Leist Entire contents are copyright © 2007 Julia Leist. All rights reserved.
"Step right up. The queue starts here. Approximate load time, five minutes." Sounds of an amusement park? No, these were the instructions given to audience members preparing to witness Specific Gravity Ensemble's world premiere performance of Elevator Plays: Ascent/Descent – Assent/Dissent. New to the ever-expanding Louisville theatre scene, Specific Gravity's avant-garde work dares to redefine the traditional understanding of theatre and the role that it plays in our lives. Set in the elevators of the picturesque historic Starks Building in downtown Louisville, Elevator Plays is a collection of 24 mini-plays that explore the ritual of an everyday elevator ride – showing us that the ordinary can be, and often is extraordinary. Four elevators operate simultaneously, running a different play in all four lifts with a new play going up and a new play going down. A logistical nightmare, the remarkable production staff was able to pull the cart-hopping off smoothly and with no obvious glitches. It's a novel idea, a play in an elevator. Why, as artists, be confined to the stage, when, as Shakespeare put so eloquently, "All the world's a stage"? Removing theatre from its traditional landscape is a lot like transplanting a home. You're not going to uplift a two-story French colonial and plant it in a pre-planned 1950's suburb of ranch style houses. No, you have to find the right environment to compliment your home. Or else what's the point? Specific Gravity has the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the intimate nature of the elevator – to use the awkward closeness of its audience members and to push the limit of what is socially/theatrically accepted. At moments, they truly experimented with this relationship, but at times they performed scenes that could have been performed on a stage. The elevator is an important character; it's an undeniable reality of the play. However, it was not always utilized or acknowledged. In such a small, intimate space, you have to act with your audience, not for your audience. The assignment for the playwright was to write a two-minute play based on the concepts of "assent," "ascent," "dissent," and "descent." Going up, and going down in whatever context; be it religious, political, social, or absurd. For me, this was secondary. What I discovered was an experience that the audience shared. It became more about the closeness of a group of strangers than taking an elevator ride with the devil. In today's world, we have a tendency to block others out. We drive to work in our unfriendly SUV's, we walk to lunch with our iPod buds jammed in our ears, we sit on the other side of a waiting room to avoid any interaction with a potential crazy person. We have become isolated from each other. The ultimate example – being on an elevator. It's like we transform into story-less lemmings, making the routine march right off the cliff and into our leather swivel office chairs. What Specific Gravity forces us to do is to see each other and to listen to our stories. The most effective plays were those that spoke directly to the audience, using the cramped nature of the space to express their fears, their joys, and their hopes. Then the elevator became living, and everyone in it became whole. Between rides, while queuing, people began talking to each other, sharing stories, and laughing. The mission of Specific Gravity Ensemble is to create an experience that will leave the audience changed. This, I believe, should be the goal of all theatre. Traditionally, when the lights go off and we sit alone in the dark, our experience is individualized; we change personally. But what do we share together? How do we change as a whole? Specific Gravity has crafted an experience that allows the audience to see each other, to be together for a moment and share a story, which is really all life is – a collection of stories. Did I change? Maybe. Will you? That's something you should find out for yourself.
Elevator Plays: Ascent/Descent – Assent/Dissent February 2 and 3, at 8 p.m in the Historic Starks
Building located at 4th Street Live www.specificgravityensemble.com
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