It takes a certain kind of person, and personality to be both servile and insistent, coy and comedic. “Ahh!” “Oh no!” and “Oh yeahhh~!” are the only words spoken, by the performer and audience alike, though there is no shortage of sounds or laughter.
Their chemistry makes the relationship between the characters believable, while their reactions and timing keep the absurd situations entertaining.
Through this dynamic back-and-forth, he brilliantly illustrates the subtle difference between a good actor and a bad actor.
It was a lovely surprise and added yet another unexpected layer to an already wonderfully varied evening.
The show itself uses therapy as a frame narrative for loosely-connected interludes of songs, burlesque, and unhinged friendship, as our performers share their struggles and bare their…souls.
From the red beanie to the plaid shirt to the sneakers, he looks like the casually cool cousin you’d want to hang with at the cookout. His style is relaxed and personal, and he connects easily with the crowd throughout his show.
The entire performance is a winding road, a tour through the “waistland” that begins in nature mockumentary style before turning in parts to semiotics lecture, dance, Duolingo-esque session, bedtime story, personal recollection, and more.
This was no ordinary recital. Candlelight, carefully chosen costumes, and the spoken word of Dante’s immortal poetry turned the performance into a ritual of music, literature, and theater.
This show runs like a collection of vignettes, almost, circling themes of desire, family, identity and suffering; a woman both going through the motions and drowning under the weight of her unspoken screams.
Köster and team have pulled together an incredible staging for the series of scenarios, an imaginative, twisted take on parental abandonment and filial devotion.