![]() In fact, "flow" might be the perfect word to describe the entire troupe, for there are no jerky movements or times where you feel transitions happening. Santiago Rivera Laugerud will amaze you, not only with his juggling (at one point, seven balls in the air!), but also with the smooth, flowing way in which he accomplishes his feats. They will do amazing things with no equipment at all, flinging each other around the stage, diving over each other, rolling (in an impressive array of styles) across the stage like so many human tumbleweeds. As one of the performers says about travel, "Sometimes it's not about going someplace new–it's about leaving someplace old."Īlong the journey you will be treated by spectacular feats involving hula hoops, Chinese poles, tightropes, trapeze, aerial rings, aerial silks, and others. But unlike most journeys, which have a destination in mind and an itinerary to follow, Passengers takes a more relaxed sort of trip, one where you set out not really knowing where you will end up, preferring instead to let chance and opportunity guide your path. The show–conceived, directed, written and choreographed by Shana Carroll, who leads the artist collective The 7 Fingers–is ostensibly about travel. ![]() ![]() There is only the barest hint of a "story" here. Considering the cast have arrived from locations around the globe, including Cambodia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Guatemala, Canada, Argentina, as well as the United States, it is a testimony to the power of theatre to bring people together. You've likely seen some of these skills before–in shows like Cirque du Soleil or TV's "America's Got Talent"–but it's unlikely you've seen them done with greater artistry or joy. The cast–more accurately a troupe of performers, for what they accomplish requires the sort of profound trust (and rehearsal) that takes months if not years to develop–are stunningly skilled. Specifically, a railroad, for Passengers, thrilling the audience at the Rembe with amazing feats of acrobatics and dance, backed by layers of staging, lighting, and projected imagery (by Ana Cappelluto, Éric Champoux, and Johnny Ranger), is intended to suggest a trip on a train. This time you will remain in your seat, while the performers onstage head out on the road. The Geary Theater has been renamed the Toni Rembe Theater (thanks to an anonymous $35 million donation!), and you can book another journey there with American Conservatory Theater. Usually metaphorical, though sometimes literal, as in the case of interactive productions such as Sleep No More, which takes viewers through different rooms in a "hotel" to experience the story of Macbeth at one's own pace, or the recent American Conservatory Theater production of Fefu and Her Friends, in which the audience was divided into groups that were guided from room to room in the Geary Theater where the vast members performed scenes over and over for each group. Theatre, at its best, will take you on a journey. Regional Reviews: San Francisco/North BayĪlso see Patrick's recent reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird and the ripple, the wave that carried me home
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