It
is important to enter the Lookingglass Theatre at Michigan and Pearson knowing
what to expect from the performance event "Wants and Needs". Yes, director Jim Dennen (or someone playing Jim Dennen)
provides a funny little speech about how this is not linear narrative theater
but morphing, suggestive, shifting, improvisational theatre. Even his speech is
meant to be seen as improvised and morphing -- with music rising and houselights
dimming, he continues to drone on and the lights fade up on the two performers.
And it must be said, while interpersonal dynamics could well be evoked during
any particular evening, it could be a stretch to suggest that any one evening
will be an "exploration of life" of any kind. This will certainly be
an exposure to theatre games and improvisational technique. Beyond that, the
inspiration 'gods' will determine what your particular evening will hold.
The
target audience for this limited run piece is the student of improvisational
theater or theatre professional who can appreciate two immensely skilled
theatre games players with a long history of playing with each other. In a
sense, we have been invited into rehearsal process that could, on any one evening,
yield situations and characters that might be deeply explored. On the other
hand, it may be possible that no situations or characters that emerge during a
particular 90 minute, intermission-less performance will capture the actors or
the audience's imagination. This is the "playing without a net"
nature of the enterprise.
Joey
Slotnik,
Lookingglass ensemble member also familiar from his extensive television and
film credits, is an engaging personality on stage. His performance partner Lauren
Katz also a veteran
of television, stage and film work, appeared to be the stronger of the two in
this particular skill (or perhaps was the more inspired partner this particular
evening). Their partnership is clearly deep and their comfort with each other
at play, in this intensely scary way, is palpable.
If
this kind of theatre is your cup of tea, visit the stunning Lookingglass
Theatre space before this run ends on August 6, 2006.