"Nocturnal: Portrait of a New York Night in Nine Movements" at The New York International Fringe Festival
“Nocturnal: Portrait of a New York Night in Nine Movements” Written and Performed by the Ensemble Directed by Laura Tesman Reviewed by David Roberts, Chief Critic Theatre Reviews Limited
Valentina (Anya Elnikova) is the somewhat mysterious street-musician that weaves through the nine movements of “Nocturnal” and knits them together in a charming and disarming foray through one (perhaps recurring) night of a particular chorus of inhabitants of New York City. In a well-organized and well directed series of flashbacks and one stunning flash-forward, the audience experiences the music made by at least twenty-eight “creatures of the night” (with thanks to Bram Stoker) as they navigate their way through the vicissitudes of human experience that aggressively challenge the achievement of success, of self-realization, of heath in relationships.
Thirteen young, energetic actors grab their own collaborative script and give it the vibrancy it fully deserves. They choose themes that are vitally important to the survival of not only the urban environment, but also the survival of our fragile and finite planet: overworked health care workers endangering the lives of their patients; human trafficking; racism; sexism; homophobia; crime; teenagers being raised by overworked and underpaid extended family members. But the themes of human endurance and unconditional, non-judgmental love win out in this “nocturne” of things that indeed do bump in the night but need not extinguish the human spirit.
Kudos to this ensemble cast. Some fare better than others in exercising their craft. Perhaps director Laura Tesman should be somewhat less forgiving of these young actors so they might do all they can to stretch themselves and hone their abilities to understand characterization and their abilities to embody these characters in a profound and believable way. And kudos to the creative team for supporting these actors as they step out in the darkness and dare to suspend the disbelief of audiences full of “creatures of the night” who are looking for hope and grace, and peace.
NOCTURNAL: PORTRAIT OF A NEW YORK NIGHT IN NINE MOVEMENTS
Presented by Pangaea Performance Ensemble with Spleen Theatre and The New York International Fringe Festival. Written and performed by The Ensemble. Directed by Laura Tesman. Scenic design by Pei-Wen Huang; costume design by Jeanette Aultz; lighting design by Hae-Jin Han; sound design by Morgan Eisen; stage management by Jessica Polanco.
WITH: Gregory Anderson-Elysee; Anya Elnikova; Dante Jayce; Hyun J. Kim; Seimi Kim; Dennis Kravstov; Salvatore Linea; Ricki Lynee; Niki Rios; Alexander Scelso; Ayo Chrysais W; Philip Weeks; and Alexander Wright.
All performances take place at The New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (Greenwich and Washington Streets) in New York, NY. Tickets are available at www.fringenyc.org or 866-468-7619. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Senior and Fringe Junior tickets available at the door for $10. Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission. For further information visit www.PangaeaNYC.org
Remaining Show Dates: Sunday, August 19th @ Noon Wednesday, August 22nd @ 8:45 pm Saturday, August 25th @ 7:30 pm
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Friday, August 17, 2012
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