Friday, March 29, 2013
_DYO_ is both whimsical and philosophical
The Tartan Online: The mood was set from the moment the audience entered the studio space: stark staging with harsh geometric lighting patterns, the spicy incense floating through the air, and an actor laying in the dust on the stage, twitching and writhing every few moments.
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I was lucky enough to see DYO and when I left the Wells honestly I really did not know what to think, but it was cool that the show kept my mind occupied, even after the house lights came up. It took me a bit to understand that there was the same story being told in different alternate universes. What helped with my understanding was really the staging in the way the actors "rewound" or retold the story. The "geometric" lighting as the article described it was affective in that the isolation of light kept the characters in their realms/universes, which again helped my understanding of the show.
DYO was one of my favorite shows I saw this year, because every single element of the show seemed to be a tiny part of the tightly woven "fabric" of the show. The way I understood it, one single story-line was being told, but through different "lenses", each one of the worlds being a very specific lens which would change the way the show was portrayed. There was something about the precision of the cues, the thrust setup of the set and the alternating word that made me feel like I wasn't quite watching theater. It was somewhat film-like in that sense, yet I think it shouldn't be produced as a movie because it's that very essence that made the production so unique to me.
In my eyes DYO succeeded in creating a very clear specific world but not in creating a journey for both the actors and audience. After hearing the director/writer's answer to "what did you want the audience to take away from this show" I'm not sure if telling a story was ever really a priority or concern. We did see, hear, and feel this very unique and specific world that was translated beautifully from book to stage, but a world is not enough. The interesting part to me is the way the actor's live in it. It felt more like an instillation art piece than a play. I'm not saying that it should be a linear story, but in terms of the audience's experience it was a flat line. An interesting flatline but a flatline nonetheless.
I really enjoyed seeing DYO and think it was a really great production. It always kept me think but not over thinking. I loved seeing it and wish I got to see it again. The moving back and forward of the set kept me in rhythm with the show and I loved the lighting which animated every change. I may not have walked out of the theatre with a philosophical meaning but I defiantly felt one through out the show. The parallel stories added an element of complexity that I loved. It game me the feeling that I should be reading the base authors works. My only wish is I got to see the production more to get a more philosophic meaning out of it.
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