Rock 'n' Roll by Tom Stoppard

Directed by Kurt Beattie at ACT

I like Tom Stoppard's plays and I like classic Pink Floyd so this play was a good match for me. As it is a Stoppard play he includes several different elements including Classic ideas of Love and the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution.

The play quickly switches between these themes and it was little difficult for me to follow especially since I didn't know much about the Velvet Revolution.

For me the main theme is about nostalgia and the trouble of looking forward and back in our lives.

This was my first show at ACT Seattle and I was impressed by how intimate the space was. This show was in the round so no seat was very far back.

The Seasons by Val Caniparoli

Music: Alexander Glazunov

This was an odd neo-classical ballet. Dryads and Satyr dance around in a loose story about the transition of the seasons. The definition component were the wavy arm motions throughout. While it's good to see new kinds of choreography, and it did work a few times, the wavy arms were overused to the point that they turned comical and we were laughing to ourselves when they reappeared.

Mopey by Marco Goecke

Music: Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach and The Cramps

A teenage-angsty fun solo performance. It's a great piece for solo male dancer. We've seen it three times and each time the transition from the classical music to The Cramps' "Surfin' Bird" is a well-timed jump of energy for the performer and audience.

I think I've seen it enough for a while, though. A break of two years should be good.

Petit Mort by Jiri Kylian

Music: Mozart

This ballet is set apart by its props. Guys have foils that they balance and bend. The Ladies have large black dresses on wheels. It's fun with some unusual choreography.

Opus by Michael Hollinger

A play about the struggles and intimacies of an accomplished string quartet. I liked the contrast of the characters and between their past and future.

Diana Szeinblum's Alaska

An interesting and mildly engaging piece. With all the hype and writeups we had heard before we saw this piece, along with the sold-out crowd, I had expected something much more substantive.

It was mostly interesting to watch, but didn't really say anything and the dancing wasn't very innovative. Not all that different from many other middle-of-the-road performances we've seen by others. It did have some nice live music accompanying.

This show will be available to watch online in January when OtBTV premieres. Here's a 2-minute excerpt.

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts

A downer of a play about a very dysfunctional family.
The script is lively with complex interplay of dialogue and a few moments of painfully good timing.