Burning Coal - Artistic Director's Page

Burning Coal Artistic Director Jerome Davis weighs in on topics theatrical and otherwise.....NEW RULE: ONLY RESPONSES THAT SHOW FULL NAME OF BLOGGER WILL BE POSTED ON THIS SITE. - JD

Monday, November 27, 2006


WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW of Burning Coal's production of EINSTEIN'S DREAMS. All we ask is that you keep the foul language off the site and please identify yourself when writing the review. Don't hold back the punches, let us know EXACTLY what you think.
-jd

1 Comments:

Blogger The Cobra said...

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most well read thespian around. Regardless of what perception that statement may imbue, I must say that the Einstein script is nothing short of genius.

Having not seen the original production 8 years ago, I was interested to see what all the fuss was about. Before I entered the theatre, Jerry said he thought the piece "breathtaking." I thought he might be exaggerating, and I half-jokingly, half-hopingly quipped that I was, in fact, prepared to have my breath tooken {sic}.

The stage screamed to me "dreamscape." A prosecenium of lighting instruments seperated the on-stage fantasy from the bustling reality of the house. A dozen or so incandescent bulbs hung about the stage each whispering a quiet "Eureka!" Einstein's chalk-board was up-stage a bit and see-through implying that Einstein's work was transparent, which perhaps it is - in his dreams. I was already smiling despite the eerie pre-show music that seemed too intrusive and over-bearing in retrospect. The music set a dark and brooding tone to a story which was more mystifying and alluring to the mind, not frightening.

Forgive me if this becomes eratic.

During the show we see Einstein literally falling over his work in an effort to clearly define to the lay-person all his wonderings on time. His confusion is brilliantly displayed by the ensemble members as they maneuver fluidly and, most importantly, in a manner not distracting to the action on which the audience should be focused. Those members of the chorus that do step out from the group to narrate provide brief glimpses into what is, at least thought to be, reality. We go backward into the future to replay an incident which might have only happened in another dimension. We're seperated from reality but are constantly reminded that it still exists. However, where it exists and to what extent are always up in the air. The possibilities are juggled above the action, danced around, and etched in tableau.

My breath had been tooken {sic} and I wasn't sure I wanted it back. It seemed like a justifiable trade-off: breath in exchange for mind-bending philosophies and physical theories on time and relativity.

--Ryan Nazionale

7:59 AM  

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