Happenstance Theatre has created a theatrical travelogue of sights and sounds to whisk us off to the exotic Arabia celebrated in Western culture pre-1950. It's a collage of video, verse, music, and dance that the company has produced as a companion piece to their previous production, Low Tide Hotel.
At only sixty minutes, it's an enjoyable hour of mystery and mayhem. The plot is a bit opaque -- an English woman arrives in the Middle East/Northern Africa by plane determined to be self-sufficient and hoping to shun the constraints of humanity and find her way in the rugged mysterious world of the desert. Ironically, she can't find the oasis that is near by and is told by a helpful porter "It is said that in the desert of life, a wise one travels by caravan while a fool chooses to travel alone."
With this magical intro of well-timed video and ironic humor, we begin a pastiche of silent films, cigarette commercials, pop standards, mime and poetry by the Persian mystic Rumi. It's an interesting jumble of images and sounds, which highlights how the West's romanticization of the desert is just as off-kilter as other culture's confused ideas about the United States.
Developed by Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, Happenstance describes FarFar Oasis as a theatrical scrapbook, which is a perfect
tag line. This piece bounces between play and performance art, melding a mixed bag of references to create a flowing whole. While not deeply insightful at a cultural level, the show is certainly a fun hour of entertainment and the three person cast does a wonderful job of bringing to life these diverse elements that resemble a Moorish mosaic.
Sabrina Mandell is the English woman who recurs throughout the performance at different points to represent the West. Mark Jaster and Scott Sedar act in a variety of roles from sultan to carnival barkers to Napoleon to Lawrence of Arabia. Gratefully, Happenstance provides references for all the images and texts so audiences can go explore the entire piece on their own.
Musical direction is provided by Tina Chancey, who plays five instruments and joins the trio occasionally on stage to sing and dance. Additional music selections range from The Bangles' 1986 hit Walk Like An Egyptian to an Arabic electro dance mix.
Kristin Thompson's lighting, Matthew Nielson's sound and JJ Kaczynski's projections are central to creating the air of mystery since no set is utilized in Round House Theatre's black box space.
FarFar Oasis is a funfun little piece, happening at Round House's Silver Spring stage and for $15 is fairly cheap escapist fare for anyone looking for a quick getaway.
Resources:
Rumi
Arab scientific accomplishments during the 5th to 7th centuries AD
A review of Orientalism
Edward Said (author fo Orientalism) Interview
Silent film The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino
Rosita Forbes,adventuress
Show Details:
FarFar Oasis Created By: Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell Produced By: Happenstance Theatre Company at Round House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring MD Ticket Info: Run Dates: April 16 - 26, 2009 Showtimes: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm & 7.30 pm Ticket Prices: $15, $12 for Round House Theatre subscribers, seniors, patrons under 25 years old and groups of ten or more Box Office: 240/644-1100 Show Length: 1 hour with no intermission
Cast & Crew: Musical Direction: Tina Chancey Choreography Consultant: Karin Abromaitis Designers: Kristin A. Thompson (Lighting), Matthew Nielson (Sound), JJ Kaczynski (Projections) Cast: Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell and Scott Sedar
April 17th performance reviewed by Rich See |
