what: salome by oscar wilde
where: the rbp rorschach in north center
accompaniment: emily, ally, caroline!
drinkability: rpb used to be byob so we all byob'd...but i'm still left confused as to if they are or if you should drink the wine they provide (for a suggested donation of $3). either way: you can see theatre and drink simultaneously.
show length: 90 minutes, no intermission
out of four: three and a half/four
the right brain project's rorschach space has begun to feel like home. while i've never personally worked with them i have many actor friends who have and do on a regular basis, and lots of friends who are eager to share in their work. rpb pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity, sensuality, and all-encompassing theatre environments. when you walk through the door you have to be ready for an experience. unlike a majority of theatres you aren't seated away from the action- you're right in it. SALOME is no different.
we entered into a pre-show environment already at work before us. if you're familiar with my blog here or have been with me to see any performances that include a pre-show you have a taste for my disdain for them. rbp has had both successful and (in my eyes) non-successful pre-shows; one of them being for last year's incredible THE BACCHAE (see my review here) wherein the actors engaged with you as you came in- yet not in character. i was happy with their choices for SALOME- actors out in the action but keeping their distance from the audience. there was a chance for us to begin to bleed into the world while getting settled in with our friends who joined us for the evening.
SALOME is the story of a princess who shares a name with the title (played by shantelle szyper) and her discovery of and subsequent obsession with the mysterious prophet iokanaan (beautifully played by greg wenz) who lives in the underbelly of the world in which we see our play. salome is adored by everyone- most of all her stepfather herod (maximillian lapine). thus when she uses her wit and charm to coy the soldiers into unearthing the prophet and he rejects her- what else is there to do but demand his head?
the highlight of the show is undoubtedly when we enter into herod and herodias' (charlesanne rabensburg) home. herodias is salome's mother and charlesanne shines in the role. she balances between trying to keep her lusting husband away from her teenaged daughter and reigning queen of the people around her. you sense a total disdain for her daughter and her youth and beauty from rabensburg, only to be rewarded with a surprise when they band together in a bout of feminism. conversely maximillian lapine is an absolute delight to watch as herod- a king with a gamut of emotions from playful, fun-loving drunken ruler to a dark, demanding pedophile obsessing too much over a young girl. the dance party that breaks down mid-celebration is so fun to watch and be engulfed in, and when it ended all i wanted was more.
i loved the incorporation of fabrics and movement as well. rabensburg also headed up the movement- and if szyper had no previous modern movement experience before this then she knocked it out of the park. the movement they created together led up to an incredible reveal in a gorgeous way.
i can't end this without touching on the lighting design by ivy reid. i love designers who can think outside of the box and create time and space without a lot of set and reid achieved that. my favorite effect being the lighting for the prophet- especially his journey from underground to the surface.
the right brain project has an ability to bring poetry to stage and to display heightened emotions and beautiful text without it seeming out of reach or over the top. the collaboration of actors is always incredibly well done and without fear or hesitation, especially in a show where the men are shirtless, women are without undergarments, and nudity is involved- i applaud their efforts to tell a story all the way through.
SALOME is a beautiful show that should not be missed. tickets are $20, $15 for industry. the show runs through april 12th!
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upcoming march shows:
friday march 21st, 10:30pm: redtwist theatre's 44 ways to end your sex life
friday march 28th, 7:30pm: jackalope theatre's the killing of michael x
join me, will you?