FIAF Crossing the Line Tickets

Very good show but wasn’t told where the surtitles were going to be shown. It was hard to see the show and read the surtitles.

I was anticipating an enjoyable experience given the actress and the subject matter. My level of French is C1-2, so I thought it would also be a great way to strengthen my oral comprehension. From the opening, where 5 strong spotlights were shined in my eyes for serveral minutes, the the barely audible voice of the actress speaking in a stage whisper, to the lack of any explanation of what this was supposed to represent (other than a black dress); the experience was something I had to endure rather than enjoy. Since I couldn't hear most of what the actress was saying I had to rely on the subtitles on top of the stage; thus prevented from following the action of the stage. Anytime I find myself checking my watch to see if this would soon be over it has to be a rather uninteresting production. There were brief moments of revelation, so it gets 2 stars instead of 1.

On Friday night, Isabelle Adjani wove the story of Marilyn Monroe and her own experience of fame into a spell binding performance. Supported by a black velvet creation from The House of Dior, Isabelle Adjani faded in and out of the surrounding darkness. The set, dimly lit with occasional spot lighting on the audience, made the issue of voyeurism part of the story. The atmospheric sound score grounded the story in time and place, bringing Marilyn and Adjani’s time together. Adjani’s languid, lyrical movement and gesture were evocative and powerful at the same time. The evening was haunting, raising questions about performance and it’s effect on the actor.

My review is based on the only performance, Marilyn’s Vertigo, that I was able to attend in this series on Friday, October 13th. Everything went really well and the entire show was a great success, especially Isabelle Adjani’s performance and the use of lighting and music.

Beautiful and touching homage to Marilyn Monroe in beautiful French language

Nora Chipaumire put on an amazing performance with herself and one other performer in the intimate Tinker theater. The performers crossed lines of audience and performer separation with a fluid performance on and off the stage within the audience. Chipaumire paid homage to the many influences on her life paving the way to develop her own style. Influences inccluded punk, rock and roll, Grace Jones, reggae, Thomas Maphumo and her home country shona traditions. A powerful performance that will leave you questioning where you stand.