I noticed three exhibits that featured clowns at PhysFestNYC, billed because the first-ever competition in New York Metropolis to showcase bodily theater, which is wrapping up its ten-day run on Sunday. Bodily theater doesn’t must characteristic clowning, judging from the competition line-up: The 16 exhibits introduced by some 100 theater artists appear to incorporate mime, dance, efficiency artwork, even puppetry however, sure, a number of clown exhibits (three of which occurred to coincide with my schedule.) This wide-ranging choice provoked some questions concerning the competition organizers’ working definition of bodily theater: Can it embody in depth dialogue? Should it’s executed by performers extremely educated in bodily motion? That the solutions to these questions gave the impression to be sure and no, respectively, didn’t hassle me. I used to be comfortable to encounter an surprising efficiency by Invoice Irwin, and never simply him.
One of many first items within the competition, which ran final weekend, had an intriguing premiere. it was entitled “Conflict and Play,” and promised to be a clown present concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The three colorfully-garbed performers within the present, none of whom spoke, have been expert at, properly, clowning round: tap-dancing, enjoying the accordion, placing on crimson noses. Two have been a fun-loving Ukrainian couple, Vira (Ania Upstill) and Nadiya (Danielle Levsky). The third, Mariko Iwasa, portrayed a variety of characters. In probably the most memorable scene within the hour-long play, Vira and Nadiya had lured members of the viewers to affix them in a spontaneous promenade, a sort of conga line — solely to be confronted by Iwasa as a stern Russian soldier – which made the scenario really feel extra menacing. Become refugees, their houses destroyed, the Ukrainians discover methods to play as soon as once more.
“Conflict and Play” is a stunning thought that may have been more practical had the devisers (Upstill, Levsky and director SMJ) been happy with representing the invasion by means of Iwasa’s soldier, supplemented with sound results. As a substitute the present additionally featured movies of precise scenes from the struggle — tanks, explosions, a speech by Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky in Ukrainian — which felt like overkill.
–
Danielle Levsky was additionally the scribe and fundamental actor in “The Crone Chronicles,” which was a riff on the Slavic people story of a witch named Baba Yaga, a well-known character in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Levsky as a brand new character named Baba Yana (recognized in this system as “the Soviet Jewish Grandma Clown”) reads to the viewers from a giant storybook, whereas the remainder of the six-member forged act out the story (together with as natural world and indeterminate sounds from the forest) which focuses on a younger lady named Chava, whose evil stepmother sends her into the forest to satisfy Baba Yaga as a manner of eliminating her. Baba Yaga threatens to eat her.
At this level, the folks story is turned on its head, Baba Yana breaking the fourth wall, eliciting from the ensemble that this conventional story “demonizes a girl who didn’t comply with patriarchal traditions,” and enlisting members of the viewers (on the night time I noticed it, a mom and daughter) to rewrite the story. For a second, the viewers members stand on stage providing a state of affairs that the ensemble acts out mutely, an creative interlude. However then the theatergoers sat again down, and the folktale continued, up to date for contemporary occasions, however such a talkative story that it was maybe not a super match for a competition meant to emphasise bodily theater.
–
“Clown Flex” was a range present that includes a half dozen clown acts. These have been decidedly uneven, however a number of have been intelligent, resembling Richard Saudeck, who did little greater than try to sit down on a stool, however did so with spectacular, and amusing, bodily prowess. Two of the acts approached nirvana: To bouncy piano music, Invoice Irwin got here out with a valise and a trunk labeled “Previous Stuff,” however give me his outdated stuff anytime: Dishevelled pants, rabbits (not actual) from a prime hat juggling heavy plates, one in all which he shockingly threw on the viewers (however, by means of sleight of hand, turned out to be a frisbee)
Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley (aka Slappy and Monday) have been the massive revelation within the present, although their act consisted nearly completely of blowing ever-more elaborate bubbles (okay, there have been additionally feathers, and Monday performed an accordion.) They have been recognized as performers in life and in efficiency for the previous twenty years, however why haven’t they been in my life prior to now?
Host Julia Proctor launched every act with a unique elaborate costume, and a hammy shtick, the perfect of which was as Estragon in Ready for Godot attempting to take off his sneakers. Proctor herself was launched because the founding director of Clown Gymnasium, which was described as “NYC’s neighborhood clown hub” (?) – and in addition because the co-founding producer of the PhysFestNYC competition. Is she the one who despatched within the clowns?
PhysfestNYC is at Stella Adler Studios at 65 Broadway by means of January 14, 2024. All tickets are $20.
Associated
