| Dorian |
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Dorian An new adaptation by Ben Lobpries and Tommy Rapley Bailiwick Theatre Many times the best way to judge one’s true feelings is not by their spoken word but instead through their body language and vocal inflections, such as announcing “You look wonderful in that dress” while your face is scrunched in a disdainful manner. Or relaying, with an uninterested and distracted face “I need to break up with you because you deserve better”, or pronouncing, as you quickly slip on your pants with a look of relief, “That was the best sex I ever had”. Hmmmmm…. In this adaptation, much of the story takes advantage of this fact as the story is largely told non-verbally, through the language of dance and physical movement. The writers, Tommy Rapley (who also fills the shoes of director and choreographer) and Ben Lobpries, largely pull this off with intrigue and rhythmic deftness and, when it doesn’t exactly work, the movement still creates an engrossing picture on stage. Dorian, based on Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, tells the story of Dorian Gray (Jamie Abelson) who poses for a portrait, painted by Basil (Patrick Andrews). We see Dorian Gray struggle with his innate sexual energy and magnetism that draw both men and women to him, leaving in his wake multitudes of broken lives and tragic deaths. The actual creation of the painting is done with directorial brilliance - rather than an actual painting, the portrait is instead represented by a live person (the handsome Kevin Simmons ) posing as the picture. As Dorian’s life plummets into vicious tragedy, the figure in Dorian’s picture echoes this, becoming more and more gnarled and contorted. Abelson does an excellent job in his demanding role as Dorian. Aileen Vale adroitly conveys a feeling of intense longing for Dorian as Sybil, a Shakespearean actress. Kudos also go out to Patrick Andrews, portraying Basil the painter, who also succumbs to Dorian’s macabre charisma and beauty. Best of all is Danny Starr, whose character, Harry, is the only one to escape Dorian’s catastrophic web as he convincingly presents a man that is too self-involved and arrogant to see anything beyond his most recent judgments and self-important pronouncements. The best writing occurs in a dinner scene montage, where two separate meals are taking place at the same time. The smart dialogue is superbly communicated, as conversation from one table echoes and enhances the other. The director and choreographer, Tommy Rapley, exposes his theatrical prowess. The choreography is well-conceived and well-executed, especially when using the dancers as a quasi Greek Chorus, propelling forward the catastrophic story. The dancer’s movements portray such broad emotions as anguish and chaos to actually symbolizing an orgasm. (I wonder if they learned this technique through one of the many get-your-mojo-back spam e-mails I find clogging up my Yahoo account!) This physical play demands a full score, and the music, written
and designed by the immensely-productive Kevin O’Donnell, brilliantly meets the
challenge. O’Donnell is a true There are a few problems with the play, most notably the work’s
setting and costumes. Program notes tell
us that the play takes place in the 1980’s in an urban enclave much like Oscar Wilde’s original Dorian
enveloped many communal and social ills, including corruption, sexual tension,
suicide and murder. It also portrayed
the dangers of a unconscionable soul; that a person’s
looks and magnetisms often falsely portray what truly resides in a person’s psyche. This adaptation brilliantly uses body language
and dance to accentuate this message in a unique and refreshing way. Well done. Rating: Recommended (3 stars) Reviewed by Scotty Zacher |
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