ACB’S FANTASTIC JOURNEY INTO HELL-OWEEN
In the same Television City soundstage that The Price is Right and The Carol Burnett Show was recorded, American Contemporary Ballet began its current season on Oct. 11 with a revival of its original works, Inferno and Burlesque. A third work, The Rite [of Spring], alternates with Inferno.
Entering the space from an unremarkable stairwell, I was suddenly plunged into darkness. A church organist played somber music. The entire stage was filled with fog. Cones of light lined the sides of the stage, which was so dark that the back of the stage disappeared into nothingness. Even on this festive opening night, the audience maintained the quiet religious atmosphere while mingling. As I stared into the void, waiting for the show to start, I had the feeling that if James Turrell got into theater lighting, it might look something like this. It was a breathtaking first impression.
Up first was Inferno, a series of seven vignettes of Dante’s journey through Hell. It begins with meeting the three beasts, played by the fearsome group of Annette Cherkasov, Madeline Houk, and Victoria Manning, in the first of their three trios of odd beings throughout the piece. Then Dante enters, played by Hannah Barr. His guide, Beatrice, was played by Vanessa Meikle. Maté Szentes played Virgil. There’s an atmospheric scene in Limbo largely danced in silhouette. Thel Moore III and Kristin Steckmann played Paolo and Francesca, two thwarted lovers doomed with eternal love. For the climax, we meet Satan, herself, played by a be-clawed Taylor Berwick, at once threatening and inviting. At about 30 minutes, it seemed to end before it began, but I didn’t really mind. Lacking in emotional extremes, the work put me in a pleasantly meditative zone.
The second half of the program was devoted to Burlesque, another collection of seven vignettes, or “Variations,” but this time, all-female, plotless, and vaguely erotic. Annette Cherkasov was sassy in a shimmery one-piece and perilous heels. Later, Victoria Manning was delightful as a diva with her flock of attendants who dressed her.. In another Variation, Claire Bednarek and Quincey Smith stripped off Meikle’s total-body latex suit, as if some kind of perverted birth. Sofie Treibitz was striking as a cheetah with her handler, Emma Maples. Houk was exceptional in an overdramatic, yet still moving, scene of her answering the phone. (It took her so long to even reach the phone, that I would have given up and tried again later!) Hannah Barr concluded this section with an aggressive and confident solo, absolutely dominating the stage. This portion was also about 30 minutes, but filled with sly, quiet humor that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Music for Inferno and Variations I-VI of Burlesque is by Charles Wuorinen. Insane and angular, it is unsettling but not off-putting. Brendan White and Alex Tchaykov were on grand pianos for Inferno, and White and Brandon Zhou played for Burlesque. Their playing matched Lincoln Jones’s thrillingly precise and strenuous choreography. Best of all, the pianos were unamplified, reverberating throughout the cavernous space and letting us hear the dancers’ smallest sounds. Morgan Jones was the versatile organist, Ryan Roberts was on bass, and Marcelo Bucater played drums.
Fernando Gonzalez did the wonderful lighting design, frequently relying on single sources and careful bold color choices to give the impression of wildly different environments. I especially liked that he was comfortable allowing the dancers to perform in darkness, sometimes lit with just an edge light. Costumes by Ruoxuan Li, Yasamin Sarabipour, and Alexa Behm were similarly minimal, giving just enough to provide an idea of character.
Before the final (short) variation, there was, confusingly, a second intermission, and it seemed odd to break the spell right before the finale. When we came back, it was almost like a different show. The now-bluesy music was by Jones and Michael Arrom. Whereas the costumes until this point had been suggestive, they were now highly detailed and specific. There was even a set! (I tease, it was just a couch.) It felt right out of the world of David Lynch. This wonderful variation was one delightful drawn-out gag, with Ellie Renner bringing the main course. I won’t go any more into the surprising and joyous ending, except to say that if you could have brought a date, but didn’t, you’ll wish you did.
photos of Inferno, Burlesque and The Rite by Anastasia Petukhova
cover photo by Norman Jean Roy
ACB SERVES HALLOWEEN THREE WAYS
American Contemporary Ballet
TELEVISION CITY, 200 N Fairfax Ave, Stage 33
90 minutes with intermission
ends on October 31, 2024
for tickets ($65–$140), visit ACB
remaining performances:
October 18 8pm Inferno & Burlesque (sold out)
October 19 8pm The Rite & Burlesque
October 24 8pm The Rite & Burlesque
October 25 8pm The Rite & Burlesque
October 26 8pm The Rite & Burlesque
October 31 8pm Inferno & Burlesque
