Review of Screaming Flea's Theatre Under the Gun 7 Piece
screaming flea: “Always a lot of intensity with this Jessie Nominated group. Intellectual and darkly comic.”
"Grim Prospects";
line: “I understand what you're saying, but the dancing confuses me,” provided by Mr. Alan Hindle, Now Magazine’s Arts Editor; a sound clip from an old radio series of a telephone conversation between a married woman and her lover who has gotten her into trouble; prop: two tiny baby dolls; New Yorker cartoon of the Grim Reaper arriving on the mountain ledge inhabited by a Guru.
This group used their inspiration package exclusively - very little else was added to the scene that did not directly relate to the material they were provided. By doing so, they focused the story, as well as our comprehension of the material presented and its genesis.
Death arrives on the ledge of a mountain to end the life of a Yogi. But as he lifts his arm to smite the man, he finds himself incapable of completing the act. The yogi pleads for a delay, as he had just found two tiny babies which were being raised by mountain wolves. 'Why not give them back to the wolves?' asks the grim-faced working man. The teacher explains that this would not be fair to the children, sentencing the children to a life of asking themselves why they do not fit in with the other children: ‘Why don't I have a tail? Why can't I grow more hair on my back? I ought to be more excited by a full moon, shouldn't I? Why isn't Jack London writing a novel about me?’
The Grim Reaper explains that he actually took over the job from someone else about 800 years ago, and the Guru seizes on this as the answer to the problem - he will take up the career and the stressed-out Reaper will retire. Scoffing, Death asks the Holy Man if he has ever killed anything. “I was a non-vegan for a time, yes,” he replies. The man who was once the simple sheep-herder named Dimitri relents and passes the yoke office to the other after a hip-hop/house dance number which attempts to show the principle moves of the job, which brings forth the line provided.
After an honestly touching moment of farewell to his adopted children, the newly appointed Grim Reaper feels the energy sizzling through his arm, and - just as the lights drop - he raises his hand to smite the 800-year-old former shepherd, and we have the completion of a perfect story arc. Simply brilliant story-telling, a wonderful short one-act, and an amazing accomplishment of 48 hours. Kudos to the two creator/performers. We need to see more from this company as soon as possible.
By Ian Alexander Martin - From http://www.theboards.bc.ca/2004-10-27.html
Ian Alexander Martin is a Vancouver-based theatre commentator, who also occasionally directs and acts. He is currently researching the reason that the cats which live with he and his wife are so daft. Visit his web-site at iamiam.ca
"Grim Prospects";
line: “I understand what you're saying, but the dancing confuses me,” provided by Mr. Alan Hindle, Now Magazine’s Arts Editor; a sound clip from an old radio series of a telephone conversation between a married woman and her lover who has gotten her into trouble; prop: two tiny baby dolls; New Yorker cartoon of the Grim Reaper arriving on the mountain ledge inhabited by a Guru.
This group used their inspiration package exclusively - very little else was added to the scene that did not directly relate to the material they were provided. By doing so, they focused the story, as well as our comprehension of the material presented and its genesis.
Death arrives on the ledge of a mountain to end the life of a Yogi. But as he lifts his arm to smite the man, he finds himself incapable of completing the act. The yogi pleads for a delay, as he had just found two tiny babies which were being raised by mountain wolves. 'Why not give them back to the wolves?' asks the grim-faced working man. The teacher explains that this would not be fair to the children, sentencing the children to a life of asking themselves why they do not fit in with the other children: ‘Why don't I have a tail? Why can't I grow more hair on my back? I ought to be more excited by a full moon, shouldn't I? Why isn't Jack London writing a novel about me?’
The Grim Reaper explains that he actually took over the job from someone else about 800 years ago, and the Guru seizes on this as the answer to the problem - he will take up the career and the stressed-out Reaper will retire. Scoffing, Death asks the Holy Man if he has ever killed anything. “I was a non-vegan for a time, yes,” he replies. The man who was once the simple sheep-herder named Dimitri relents and passes the yoke office to the other after a hip-hop/house dance number which attempts to show the principle moves of the job, which brings forth the line provided.
After an honestly touching moment of farewell to his adopted children, the newly appointed Grim Reaper feels the energy sizzling through his arm, and - just as the lights drop - he raises his hand to smite the 800-year-old former shepherd, and we have the completion of a perfect story arc. Simply brilliant story-telling, a wonderful short one-act, and an amazing accomplishment of 48 hours. Kudos to the two creator/performers. We need to see more from this company as soon as possible.
By Ian Alexander Martin - From http://www.theboards.bc.ca/2004-10-27.html
Ian Alexander Martin is a Vancouver-based theatre commentator, who also occasionally directs and acts. He is currently researching the reason that the cats which live with he and his wife are so daft. Visit his web-site at iamiam.ca
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