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Danceworks 2012 (Photo by Mike Peters).

What is dance? This question is consistently on my mind during each dance performance presented by Montclair State’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and Danceworks 2012 was no exception. Seven pieces in a variety of styles were performed, each created by equally unique types of choreographers and artists. Read more »

To conclude the spring semester, the Montclair State BA Theatre Studies Class of 2012 performed a new show called PENANCE: The Ghost of Don Juan. The play was created in collaboration with the cast, which helped make it modern and relevant. PENANCE explored the Don Juan archetype: a man who seduces women. It featured a robot version of Don Juan who is programmed only to seduce women, which takes out any psychological reason for Don Juan to be womanizer. PENANCE had a strong theme of sexual attraction and sexual pleasure—even a theme of rape. 

My favorite scene was a monologue in which a man talked about how we all follow the same script in relationships, and about the consequent lack of uniqueness. PENANCE was a mixture of drama and comedy, as well as movement transitions that filled up every second between scenes. I liked this performance because of its relevance to modern relationship issues. The ending of PENANCE was very interesting: each member of the cast made physical contact with a member of the audience, creating a direct connection that was very awkward for some in the audience. I left the show thinking about how sex and physical attraction play an important role in my life. 

Jason Balinskas is an undergraduate student at Montclair State, majoring in Communications Studies with a concentration in Public Relations.

Montclair State’s Theatre Studies students recently performed PENANCE: The Ghost of Don Juan, a story that everyone attending college can relate to. 

The show opened with a young woman and young man dressed in 18th century clothes. During this scene, the woman poured her heart out about what she was going through at this point in her life. However, the young man said nothing during this scene and throughout the play. This young man was the character Don Juan, who symbolized men throughout time who have broken young women’s hearts. He symbolized all the men in society who look upon women as sex objects. 

Throughout the play, the actors kept flashing back to the scene with a talk show host interviewing a Don Juan robot in modern times. When asked how he views women, the student playing the robot responded, “I see them all the same.” The only difference between the talk show host and the robot was that the talk show host yearned to connect with others and form relationships. To me, this referenced the two types of men in society: those who can settle down and have a relationship and those who want to be lifetime bachelors. The show was very unique and addressed important issues that young adults go through while trying to find their identity. 

Maxine Mack is an undergraduate student at Montclair State, majoring in Communications Studies with a focus on public relations.

After opening last week, performances of PENANCE: The Ghost of Don Juan continue through Sunday, April 29. In my third and final video installment on the creation of this new production performed by the Montclair State Theatre Studies class of 2012, I spoke with members of the cast during a break from their physically demanding, hypersexual onstage adventures. And now a few words from Gillian Holmes, Victor J. Carinha, and Nicole Grassano! 

 

Beginning April 19, 2012, Montclair State’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents the world premiere of PENANCE: The Ghost of Don Juan, a new work written by Molly Rice and created in collaboration with the Theatre Studies class of 2012. I had the chance to talk with Molly about adapting the Don Juan story for a contemporary context and what the iconic character means to her.  Check out the video below for excerpts from our conversation. 

 

Click here for more on PENANCE from director Debbie Saivetz and movement director Heather Benton, at the cast’s initial “theater bootcamp” rehearsals.

(Photo by Mark Garvin.)

The words “Gaga” and “fame” have become fused together in the pop culture lexicon ever since Lady Gaga’s debut album was released in 2008. Being a twenty-something pop music lover, my first thought when I heard about a “Gaga People” movement workshop at the Kasser Theater was whether I should wear my meat dress or my Kermit the Frog poncho. But Lady Gaga this was not. The “Gaga” in question refers to the movement language, developed by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, in which performers reintroduce themselves to the sensations of their bodies, allowing them to find their own natural and fluid movement. Read more »

(Photo by Mark Garvin.)

LeeSaar The Company presented an intense dance performance at Montclair State last weekend. Called FAME, the show had no ties to the movie or television show with the same name. LeeSaar’s FAME was a creative and modern performance that showed the evolution of fame through music, dance, and lighting. 

The show began in complete silence as the small cast came on stage. I saw this as the first stage of being famous, which starts as a dream or an idea. Several solos followed that could be perceived as the stage when a person tries to become famous. My favorite part was when one of the dancers lip synched to a song from a live concert, to create the feeling of watching a pop star. I interpreted this as the moment of fame, when the artist knows they are famous. 

Most of the show was very abstract, and I didn’t always understand the message it was trying to convey, especially during the second half. Overall, was it about the decline of fame—or is there even an end to fame? Or maybe finding a “message” wasn’t the point?  If you saw the show, leave a comment below on your interpretation! 

Jason Balinskas is an undergraduate student at Montclair State, majoring in Communications Studies with a concentration in Public Relations.

(Photo by Mark Garvin.)

LeeSaar The Company presented a unique performance of FAME at Montclair State from March 29 to April 1. The show, choreographed by Lee Sher and Saar Harari, consisted of seven performers whose creative, interpretive moves kept you on the edge of your seat. 

Five female dancers started the show with a theatrical and inventive series of simultaneous solos danced without music. The performance was at its peak when one of the performers sang a heartfelt solo. My favorite scene, though, was toward the end, when a dancer began imitating a monkey and then flowed right back into her choreography. It was a surprising moment that was an example of an eccentric spin to the show, and it changed your perception of what the dancers were capable of achieving. 

LeeSaar The Company really strives for pure innovation in their work. The eccentric tone and their inventive moves kept you eager to see what was to come next. I recommend that anyone seeking mysterious and unusual work watch one of their pieces! 

Maxine Mack is an undergraduate student at Montclair State, majoring in Communications Studies with a focus on public relations.

Upcoming in April, Montclair State’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present the world premiere of PENANCE: The Ghost of Don Juan, a new work written by Molly Rice and created in collaboration with the Theatre Studies class of 2012. PENANCE, directed by Debbie Saivetz with movement by Heather Benton, will explore the character and archetype of Don Juan and the implications of aggressive sexual appetite in a hyper-sexual world.

In preparation for rehearsals, the Theatre Studies students participated in a two-day “theater boot camp” led by Benton and Saivetz. They explored their own physicality as well as the physicality of others, working together to build a theatrical ensemble that is ready to tackle the epic text of Don Juan. I sat in on five hours of their boot camp session and chatted with Debbie Saivetz and Heather Benton. Watch the clip below to catch a glimpse of this early stage in the development process! 

 

The Montclair State Department of Theatre and Dance production of Kiss of the Spider Woman is a spectacle, to say the least. Based originally on a novel by Manuel Puig and made later into a movie, Kiss of the Spider Woman tells the story of two men who are forced to share a jail cell in a prison in Argentina and become unlikely lovers and friends. The story is told mainly by Molina, who used to work as a window dresser and was arrested for the supposed molestation of a minor. Molina has made the best of his life in jail by romanticizing an actress named Aurora, whom he deeply idolizes and later shares with Valentin in an attempt to brighten his spirits. However, there is one character of Aurora’s that Molina does not love but greatly fears: the Spider Woman, whose kiss is deadly. Read more »

Frank Van Laecke and Alain Platel. (Photo by Luk Monsaert.)

A cat has nine lives. 

They have more. 

And during their final life, they found each other in a safe ghetto. 

If you sneak your way in, you can see them clawing, growling, and hissing. 

And when the ghetto is demolished, all lives seem to have been used up. 

The trip to nothingness is crushing. 

Because even skin has a memory. 

Inspired by the penetrating film Yo Soy Así (by Sonia Herman Dolz), in which the closing of a transvestite cabaret in Barcelona affords us a glimpse into the private lives of a memorable group of older artists, actress Vanessa Van Durme collected a number of transsexual and transvestite friends for a project that can be called unique in every respect. Gardenia is not a work of fiction. Gardenia is a singular account, the most intimate of tales. Read more »

Montclair State’s recent production of the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman combined the dark setting of a jail cell in South America with happy memories from the prisoners’ pasts and an unusual love story. The show was performed by an outstanding cast that brought emotions to life, and it featured a large, three-level jail set that made the audience feel trapped with the prisoners. The main character, Molina, a gay prisoner, falls in love with his cell mate, Valentin. Homosexuality is an important element in the show; some other themes include escapism, fantasy, and looming death. 

The play goes back and forth between reality and fantasy as Molina tries to cope with being trapped in his cell. However, unlike a traditional story, the show ends in Molina’s fantasy world rather than in reality. This created a gray area for me: the ending in reality was sad, but the fantasy ending was cinematic and happy. The show still has me thinking, “Was the ending sad or happy?”  Either way, Kiss of the Spider Woman was an amazing, entertaining production. 

Jason Balinskas is an undergraduate student at Montclair State.

Gardenia. (Photo by Luk Monsaert.)

When I attended a performance of Gardenia in Montreal during the groundbreaking Festival TransAmériques, I was humbled by the gripping authenticity of the show’s performers and the intimately personal quality of their performances. Much of theater is predicated on fooling an audience into believing a staged reality. But what happens when the performers live a life of pretend in order to be accepted socially? 

In shows like La Cage aux Folles, men play women for effect, for entertainment, and only passing reference is made to the dilemmas of cross-dressing. Movies also have won large audiences when leading men have found it expedient to play women (think Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie and Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire). But what happens when a man chooses to be a woman in order to survive, to be real, and being entertaining is what is demanded of them by those who are watching—that is, by us? Read more »

Montclair State dance students put on a diverse show of 12 assorted dance pieces choreographed by the student body. Every student brought his or her own character and personal style to their performance. Performers kicked off the show with Valsa Do Abraco, an entertaining, vibrant salsa ensemble consisting of both ballet and jazz choreography. 

Bloom, choreographed by Kelly Carroll, was an emotional performance by the female dancers. It was a very feminine dance that gave off a girl-power vibe. The girls were separated in the beginning, which gave the performance a sad tone—but slowly, one by one, the girls came together, reuniting in a pleasant ending. The red rose petals were the icing on the cake; they really fit the mood of the dance. 

The piece Breaking Judgment, choreographed and performed by Jacqueline Selesky, was fierce! The music—“Black Bull,” by Les Tambours du Bronx—really kicked off the dance. Selesky’s erotic hair and outfit went with her sharp, sassy dance moves. Her passion showed throughout the entire performance. 

Leaving the show, you have more of a respect for dance as an art form. The time and commitment that the dancers put into this work showed in the dance collage. 

Maxine Mack is an undergraduate student at Montclair State, majoring in Communications Studies with a focus on public relations.

Throughout March, Montclair State observes Women’s History Month with discussions, lectures, film screenings, and performances on the theme “Engendering the Arts and Sciences.” Peak Performances and les ballets C de la B’s Gardenia will be part of the celebration March 17–25. But first, V-Day Montclair gets the theatrical ball rolling with the annual benefit reading of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues, March 5 and 6 at 7:30pm. Montclair State’s V-Team has assembled a cast of student, faculty, alumni, and community performers to present Ensler’s play and raise money in support of the Women’s Rights Information Center of Englewood, New Jersey, and the women and girls of Haiti (via the global V-Day organization). Below, director Brandon Monokian gives his perspective on the impact of V-Day and talks with two local celebrities in the V-Day Montclair cast. 

Four years ago, I was asked to be a last-minute replacement as director of The Vagina Monologues at Montclair State, when the original director dropped out three days before the scheduled start of casting and rehearsals. At the time, I was just excited to direct a show, completely unaware that The Vagina Monologues would change my life. Read more »

The Montclair State Department of Theatre and Dance opened their spring semester with William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The production is quite unique for a number of reasons, the first being that it’s set during “Anytime,” but still in Verona, Italy, as in the original text. This immediately invited audience members to experience the piece with an open mind, because it clearly wasn’t going to be your traditional, run-of-the-mill Shakespeare production.

Read more »

Akram Khan, Leicester, 2010. (Photo by Laurent Ziegler.)

A Bangladeshi choreographer, a British urban planner, and a 13th century Sufi poet walk into a bar…the result is less punchline, more visual punch. The program notes for Akram Khan Company’s Vertical Road begin with a poem by Rumi; to ruminate (pun intended) on his ideas is a fitting beginning to this evening of dance and movement narrative. Read more »

At recent performances of Bill T. Jones’s Story/Time, we asked audiences to participate in the storytelling via a Twitter feed that was projected in the lobby. See what our audience members had to say, both about themselves and about the performance, after the jump!

Read more »

Story/Time. (Photo by Paul B. Goode.)

As the neon green strobe lights dotted the smoky dance floor, I stepped away for a moment and took a sip of water. On the opposite side of the dance floor, the DJ leered from beneath the brim of his baseball cap and monitored the perimeter of the room from behind his turntable, nodding to the beats of the music approvingly while facing the crowd of dancers. I was just busting a move at a warehouse party in Baltimore when—strangely—I was reminded of John Cage. 

Although Cage’s music doesn’t sound like Aphex Twin, John Cage and his compositions have influenced the course of electronic music, dance music, classical music—pretty much every kind of music—for the past 50 years. Read more »

Ann Sheridan, circa 1938. (Photographer unknown; graphics by Floodesign.)

Student Forum’s first installment of the 2011–12 season offers three variations from a “behind the scenes” perspective, by theater students Jordan Anton (below), Jeremy Landes, and Esteban Cremona. These three acting majors recount their experiences on the costume run crew of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s recent production of the Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman classic Stage Door. Thanks to our collaborators at Montclair State’s Creative Research Center for sharing these unique “reviews.” And for more, don’t miss Jennifer Wilson’s dramaturg’s blog. 

As the house lights dim and the characters enter the stage, there is another performance, a hidden one, that is about to begin. Behind the black, wall-like curtain of Alexander Kasser Theater—lit only by an eerie blue lamp—are four people on the edge of their chairs. Startling in appearance, they appear to be waiting for someone…anyone. Finally, a foreign body can be seen nearing the area they are bound to. As predator to prey, they rush to the newly arrived body, rip off the victim’s clothes, and squeeze them into new attire. In a matter of seconds, the body is gone, and the four people who make up Stage Door’s quick-change costume team are beckoned back to the chairs, where they thrive. Any individual who witnesses the surreal, manic nature of the crew in their natural environment would need to pinch themselves to make sure what they glimpsed was real. Read more »

“Hell on Earth” are the first words that come to mind when I reflect upon my tenure as a wardrobe crew member for Montclair State University’s production of Stage Door, directed by Susan Kerner, which ran last week at the Alexander Kasser Theater. All right, perhaps that is a bit harsh, but there was certainly a plethora of instances when that very thought crept into the forefront of my sore, anguished mind. I must admit that I began my time at Stage Door with an eager hopefulness that was very naive. Reality, however, rapidly sank in within minutes of my arrival on day one. It was clear that my grandiose perception of the glamorized life of a wardrobe crew member did not account for the inevitable avalanche of tedious, tiresome work that lay ahead. 

Upon my eighth trip back and forth from Memorial Auditorium to the Kasser Theater was when my disdain for this production set in. Read more »

“Your first job is to separate everyone’s costumes and put them in plastic bags, on the hangers. There are more than one hundred costumes—so get to work,” commands Debra Otte. Great, I love this job already. Not only did it feel like there were one million costumes, but each set of costumes did not want to cooperate. I never had so much difficulty putting clothes in plastic bags. I am not one for complaining, so I did not mind too much, but it was definitely a tedious job. It looked like this wardrobe job was going to be a lot of work. 

After about an hour of dealing with these clothes, they enlighten us with wonderful news: “Now, you guys have to walk all one hundred costumes across the campus to the Alexander Kasser Theater.” Read more »

(Photo by Mike Peters.)

My peers in the Montclair State University Department of Theatre and Dance opened their fall season in October with A Chorus Line, a production that could have easily been mistaken for the actual Broadway show. I had never seen A Chorus Line but, thanks to my theater-obsessed friends, was familiar with the soundtrack of a show that had won nine Tony Awards. The songs were nearly identical, and I was impressed with the students’ powerful vocals. 

The show provided a glimpse into the personalities of its characters and described the events that shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. The performance was very inspiring, and I did not expect to develop a connection with the performers the way I did. The performers lived through the music, using dance. A Chorus Line was so engaging because the dance routines and songs were a great compilation of the dancers’ inner thoughts. Following the characters throughout the production allowed me to feel close to them and develop relationships with them. A particular musical number I identified with was “At the Ballet,” performed by the characters Sheila, Bebe, and Maggie. This portion of the performance revealed each woman’s troubled past and conveyed her emotions through the music and dance. Lines like “It wasn’t paradise, but it was home,” were relatable for me, because I understand what having a “second family” and a home away from home is like. Ballet was all these women had, and it inspired them to work hard enough to make it to a prestigious Broadway audition. I would hope to see my peers in the same situation someday. 

A Chorus Line is a snapshot of what it is like in the theater industry. Dancers pour their hearts and souls out on the stage and are never guaranteed success, no matter how well they perform. After watching this performance, I realized how talented the students of Montclair State are, and I was truly moved. A job well done, Montclair! 

Jamie Lynn Wisniewski is un undergraduate student at Montclair State University.

As part of Montclair State’s Creative Campus project, members of the UK-based dance company Wayne McGregor | Random Dance visited Montclair State for a series of discussions and workshops centering around the company’s “choreographic thinking tools,” culminating in last spring’s Brainstorm symposium on creative thinking.  In October, Wayne McGregor continued the conversation with the campus community, in conjunction with the company’s performances of FAR. Below, Brandon Monokian shares reflections inspired by this informal Q&A session; for more, read reports on the initial workshops, by Brandon and Sara Wintz. 

“Be wrong, be strong” is a philosophy I adopted about two and a half years ago. I was about to enter the professional world of the arts with four and a half years of theater school behind me and a degree about to be placed in my hand, and my confidence in my work was at an all-time low. Throughout my years studying in school, I had unwittingly become so obsessed with a perfect final product that I had forgotten the importance of the process, and the result was a series of safe and lackluster theatrical endeavors I’d rather forget. So I started being wrong and being strong and, in turn, learning from my mistakes. 

I took this attitude with me into a workshop with two members of choreographer Wayne McGregor’s company, Random Dance. With a virtually nonexistent dance background, I was skeptical of what I would be able to achieve in the course of a two-day workshop, but I threw myself into the experience. The workshop was life changing, and, as a result of what I learned, I gained a plethora of new techniques and tools I could use to generate ideas, communicate with others, and understand my own sense of self as a theater director and actor. Months later, I was ecstatic to learn that not only would Peak Performances host the American premier of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance’s FAR, but they had arranged a discussion with McGregor himself. Read more »

Wayne McGregor. (Photo by Nick Mead.)

“In flesh and blood lay the self and its articulations. With its own elaborate sign language of gesture and feeling, the body was the inseparable dancing partner of the mind or soul; now in step, now a tangle of limbs and intentions, mixed emotions. Organism and consciousness, soma and psyche, heart and head, the outer and inner—all merged, and all needed to be minutely observed if the human enigma were ever to be appreciated.” 

—Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason 

In rehearsal for Wayne McGregor’s latest work, dancers from his company perform extraordinary motions. They throw themselves into whiplash spins, let waves ebb through their necks, build counterintuitive curves and angles into limb and spine. No other contemporary choreographer has developed such an instantly recognizable range of movement—familiar yet dazzlingly novel, giving bodies new things to do while speculating about the minds that inspire them. Read more »