The Other Mozart/Mahalla

Berkshire Fringe, Great Barrington, MA

www.berkshirefringe.org

through August 5, 2013

by Kait Rankins

Bard College is a home to a unique theatrical tradition in the Berkshires. Now in its ninth season, Berkshire Fringe has hosted over 140 full-length productions and more than 600 artists, giving audiences the chance to see new and experimental works that would not ordinarily be seen in Western Massachusetts venues.

On all nights from July 15-August 5 except Tuesdays, Berkshire Fringe presents either two or three productions in rotation. Patrons can opt to see one or more shows in one evening, which run from 50-80 minutes in length.

The material is challenging, new, and experimental. The Anthropologists' new play "Mahalla" intertwines two stories of Egyptian revolution -- the modern Arab Spring and the Passover story of the Jews' escape from Pharoah. While "Mahalla's" narrative structure seems forced and doesn't intertwine as often as it should, it will surprise and delight audiences with innovative staging and use of movement and dance.

Berkshire Fringe was also host to "The Other Mozart," a one-woman tour-de-force written, created, and performed by Sylvia Milo. It tells the true story of Mozart's older sister Nannerl, a music lover and harpsichord virtuoso who, because of her gender, was forced to confine herself to society's expectations and live in her younger brother's shadow. Through Milo's layered and beautiful performance, brilliant lighting and atmospheric sound design, Nannerl's tale is told with heartbreaking beauty, leaving one wondering if she could have become as great (or perhaps greater than) as her brother, had she been born a man.

The tiny black box theatre has extremely limited seating, and the plays are small in scale and designed to travel. For example, the elaborate skirt featured in "The Other Mozart," which stretches across the entirety of the stage and contains all of the play's props, fits into a rolling suitcase.

Berkshire Fringe performances are at Bard College's Daniel Arts Center. This is an intimate theatre experience you won't want to miss. Tickets for each play are $16 in advance and $20 at the door, with free music, talk-backs, and workshops interspersed throughout the schedule.

The Disappearing Woman

Berkshire Fringe
Daniel Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA
www.berkshirefringe.org
August 3, 2009
by Emily List

The Disappearing Woman was a visually captivating collaboration between four acclaimed performers and the digital media practices that drive their actions. The program, choreographed and danced by Nell Breyer, Alissa Cardone, Lorraine Chapman and Bronwen MacArthur, addressed problems of self-expression in a world where the self is constantly manipulated and reconstructed through video-imagery, digital photos and other technological forms. Just as images of the dancers were elongated, fragmented, inverted and projected on the walls of the auditorium, the women's movements constantly shifted in nature, from elastic arm extensions and fluid arabesques to stilted, jarring walks and violent drops to the floor. More often than not, digital media threatened to envelope the human forms completely.

The ways that digital media can lead to the disappearance of the individual self was a strong message projected throughout the show. Equally strong was the idea of transparency. Immediately upon entering the theatre, the audien was subjected to mediated self-scrutiny, a live-video recording capturing images of the spectators entering the space reflected on a screen opposite the seating area. In a dance that is punctuated by sharply executed pivots and elbow-jabs, the four women moved to the recording of a cell-phone message. At first, the words stood out and it was possible to follow the speaker's train of thought. As time went on and the dance and the message became more harried, the movement and the words blended together, the anxious babbling becoming background noise that set the rhythm for the choreography.

The sound, designed by Justin Samaha, was largely dialogue spoken by the performers or the Slovenian author Renata Selcl, speaking on the "Tyranny of Choice." The Disappearing Woman, with its live and recorded video projections occurring simultaneously with the live choreography and frequent costume changes, presented the audience with the dilemma of choosing where to look at any given moment. While the digitally recorded dances provided a visually compelling backdrop, it would be a mistake to ignore the live performances that do not disappoint in their theatricality, technical precision and playful energy.

Bazaar Productions Produces Berkshire Fringe 2008

Jeffrey Weiss

berkshirefringe.org

While many are not yet aware of Berkshire Fringe, this troupe of young actors, crew, and teachers launch their fourth summer season. Featuring groundbreaking original works of theatre, dance and music by emerging artists from across the U.S, the festival takes place at Simon's Rock College, Great Barrington. The action-packed three-week festival also includes :30 Live!, a free pre-show music series featuring performances by sonic innovators; EarlyStages, a showcase of new plays by local young playwrights; Friday Films, a late night series of new films; and many other special events including post-show artist discussions and free community workshops. On any given day from July 16 - August 4, audience members may attend up to three diverse performances in all price ranges from free to low cost.

A perfect example of the sort of entertainment to expect is their first play “Miracle Tomato.” Hundreds of tomatoes fall from the sky. Creator Jessica Cerullo recounts the rich and prolific history of the tomato in this sobering and hysterical comedy that examines cultivation, mass consumption, and the changing dynamics of food and family. www.berkshirefringe.org.