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| The Cast of "Grand Parade" (photo: ArtsEmerson) |
“The Grand Parade (of the 20th Century)” is the
creation of a company from Ashfield, MA known as Double Edge Theatre,
and this work is certainly that. It's a double-edged surreal collage
of one hundred years of our common mythology, inspired by the art of
Marc Chagall. It's quite a trip, encompassing memories and memorials
of such elements as the first lunar landing, the escape artistry of
Houdini, the discovery of the atomic bomb, and the JFK assassination.
According to the company's Artistic Director Stacy Klein, the members
of the troupe who created it viewed the past American Century as one
of cataclysm and destruction; they tried to reflect this history
through their own eyes as the sole means of speaking to their desires
for the future. They attempted a dialogue with their future as being
both simple and profound, “a choice between destruction and
creation”. It ended up a bit of a mishmash of individual and
collective memory of their experiences, said to be based on their
investigation of Homer's Odyssey, though there wasn't any
clear evidence as to this influence.
The co-creators and performers of this piece were Carlos
Uriona, Matthew Glassman, Hayley Brown, Jeremy Luise Eaton, Adam
Bright and Milena Dabova. It was Conceived, Designed and Directed by
Klein, with Music Composition by Alexander Bakshi, Sound and
Projection Design by Brian Fairley, Technical Design and Direction by
Adam Bright, Music and Vocal Direction by Lyudmila Bakshi, and
Lighting Design by John Peitso. The Wood Scenery Design was by Jeff
Bird, Mask Design by Beckie Kravetz and Puppet Design by Carroll
Durand, Sarah Cormier and Nancy Milliken. All were competently
accomplished, but the only standout was the Costume Design by Amanda
Miller. There was also a four piece band and, at the performance
attended, a fine guest vocalist, Morgan Williams.
One expected better and more immersive visual theater.
Lamentably, this was not up the exacting standards of professionalism
exhibited during this past season of ArtsEmerson productions. There
were a few brief inspired moments (the quiet solemnity of the
earliest days of the AIDS crisis, the toppling of the Berlin Wall)
but by and large the effect was one of a somewhat superficial listing
of unrelated events. It didn't help that the mimicry of such events
was flat and amateurish. The company is to be commended for
attempting to cover such a vast expanse in such a brief span of time.
The program lasted just under an hour and was with us just over the
weekend. One hoped to be inspired, as the song “Before the Parade
Passes By” puts it, to feel one's heart coming alive again.
Unfortunately, this “Grand Parade” merely passed by.
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