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Producer/director/artist Rachel Klein can be called nothing else besides one of the most innovative young people on the modern downtown scene. Over the last four seasons, she has emerged as a leading force behind theatre and dance, as well as video production, and the pride of her fleet has become The Tragedy of Maria Macabre. This dance opus, which features a story by Klein with Sean Gill, and utilizes a mix of musical styles from Mozart and Phillip Glass to the Tiger Lilies, proved stunning when it took its place at The Wild Project on East 3rd Street for a month-long run in October, after previous engagements in excerpt form, and then a full-length permiere at Dixon Place, which was quite a success Given the intricate journey the show has taken (including development of a mass-market video presentation in 2010), it's a joy to behold.
Though it's very much a niche piece, absolutely seasonable in its appropriateness close to Halloween, and perhaps not quite ready to take place at such larger dance venues as BAM or the Joyce, it is nonetheless a spectacular achievement for Klein and her entire band of dancers and artisans. (And, it should be noted, she even designed the phenomenal costumes, with Kae Burke as associate).
Perhaps the best word to describe the action as it unfolds would be "intense." The deceased Miss Macabre's trek through the afterlife begins in the Royal Court of the Dead, in which the King and Queen perform a frightening dance of pseudo-welcome, among such other coutriers as the Ringmistress, the Clown, the Debutant, the Bandleader and two Mariachis. Indeed, circus-style terpsichore is very much the order of the day, both in this opening number and the others that follow, inwhich the action goes back and forth between the 1912 Miss New England Pageant, Madrid in 1896, the circus in Florence in 1792 and the interior of a Parisian insane asylum in 1952. Certain tableaux are executed more deftly than others, but in each case, the narrative of the action is very competently communicated through the choreography. More than this, the ensemble seem to possess a covert pride in their work together, as though beneath the dark and terrifying aspects of everything involved, they're having an absolute blast working with each other onstage.
All are dancers extraordinaire, and in the title role, Abigail Hawk couldn't be more perfect; she's one part fragile china doll, one part burlesque queen and one part diva beyond compare. Michael Porsche and Elizabeth Stewart give masterful performances as the King and Queen, and Megan O'Connor does a beautiful job as the Debutant; likewise our two Mariachis, embodied by Ethan O'Hara and Brian Rubano. Then there's Eric Schmalenberger as the Clown, often hellishly scary, but alternately pathetic and a most unlikely heartthrob. However, the evening absolutely belongs to Danielle Marie Fusco as the Ringmistress, who gives a performance impossible to dismiss, and she's trumped only slightly by the spectacular Preston Burger as the Band Leader. In all truth, it's impossible to imagine this ensemble comprised of anyone besides this very talented band of entertainers.
In addition, mention must be given to the sensational work of makeup designer Anita Rundles and lighting designer Ben Kato. The aforementioned Sean Gill provides topnotch sound design as well as graphics for the vaudeville-style cards displayed on an easel at stage right, and the entire production is tightened even further by the stage management of Marina Steinberg.
Where The Tragedy of Maria Macabre, or Rachel Klein and her crew, will go from here, is anybody's guess. But one thing is for certain; she, and the piece, should congratulate themselves merely for the impressive act of infusing today's downtown scene with a fresh new rush of blood in every sense of the word. And your humble writer, for one, will be watching their next move with abject interest.
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