THEATRE IN THE CUBE (5/12/2011)

                        Palms at the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center

                  Construction of the World Trade Center Memorial from the Winter Garden

Earlier in the year I experienced a fascinating production of The Rovers at the World Financial Center Winter Garden which overlooks the site of the World Trade Center.   When I discovered that there would be another production at this venue I decided to give it a go.  This production, created by The Nerve Tank, was a far cry from The Rovers.  Whereas with The Rovers, the cast and the audience literally "roved" all over the WFC, in this production, the performers worked inside a clear plastic cube.  The actors (normally one male and one female) developed their performance either from phrases submitted via texting and Twitter or from music composed by Stephan Moore.  There was also a continuous streaming of an interview of two directors pertaining to their backgrounds, lives and aspirations.  Seven performers participated in the six-hour experience.

The performers were identically attired in black jackets and trousers, white shirts, and dark glasses. Three props, a boot, a rope and a large leaf were used.  Their performance combined dance, acrobatics,and mime. The responses to such texts or Tweets as "But whose boot IS it?," "Think of frozen salamanders," or "Construct a machine" were so creative and engrossing.  Performers acted independently and in tandem.  They rotated their performance so that all viewers go a chance to see them. This movement created a three-dimensional scenario.

The Attendants, created by The Nerve Tank, is yet another example of the endless supply of imagination found in such abundance in NYC.