FringeNYC 2013: disremember
What do we do when the memory of who we used to be overshadows who we have become? Blending dance and text, disremember follows one couple as they move in and out of these memories, both destructive and nostalgic.
Official production websiteShow details/ticketing at FringeNYC
Review by Sarah Lang · August 14, 2013
disremember, described by the artists as “a whimsical, gothic dance theatre duet” had moments of intensely powerful emotional connection and surprise, but as a whole left me a little confused.
The world of the piece is inhabited by a couple who has clearly hit a rough patch; Shannon McPhee’s character spends the entire first half trying to get the attention of her lover, played by Joshua R. Pyne, who almost entirely ignores her. The play’s theme of distorted memory is made clear as McPhee brings out boxes (presumably of memorabilia) that they need to go through together. McPhee brings out the plates from their first date and lovingly recounts the event--a happy one that doesn’t bear any resemblance to the relationship on stage. The first box also contains a leather glove, which has other, darker associations. In one of the play’s most powerful moments, McPhee struggles to defend herself against the glove (which she masterfully animates), and the audience begins to get a sense of what may have driven the couple apart. This sense of story, of getting an idea of what has happened to create such a bleak space between these people, does not really come to fulfilment. In an effort to goad Pyne into speech, McPhee’s character talks at length about past secrets from childhood, including her intense desire to transform into a horse. This element of the story, this childhood desire, seems to be the most fleshed out thought in the piece. At least is is the most often repeated and referred to. It seemed almost to overshadow the intended depiction of memory distortion.
This was part of the confusion I felt throughout the piece. Despite beautiful moments--Pyne grabbing McPhee and pulling her into a hug as his very first response to her in the whole piece, a piece of poetry and movement touching on the space that has come to live between them as they sleep--the overall effect was of a piece that hasn’t quite achieved a clarity or singularity of purpose. Though the program notes make the intention very clear (and it is a fascinating subject to pursue) the piece doesn’t seem to have developed the cohesion and balance of story moments to portray that onstage.
disremember is the first full length presentation by McPhee and Pyne’s company Broken Spoke. The core of this piece was an exciting beginning, and I look forward to seeing what the company does next.
Preview: Interviews with Artists from disremember
We're asking artists from each show to answer questions about themselves and their work to help our readers get a detailed advance picture of the festival:
All About My Show · Shannon McPhee (Writer)
- Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in FringeNYC that...?
involves the main character dancing like a drunken horse. At least, I think it's the only one... - What do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
The show is about the act of remembering being more destructive than the act of forgetting. It's about clinging to broken-down relationships and childhood memories, even though they are painful and harmful. I want the audience to leave and think about what dangerous memories they hold onto themselves. - Why did you want to write this show?
I wanted to write a show that explored my own fear of letting down my ten-year-old self which, at the same time, mirrored the disintegration of a romantic, adult relationship. I wanted to write something that was dark but playful, with lots of horse imagery and opportunity for movement. - Who are some of the people who helped you create this show, and what were their important contributions to the finished product?
Though I'm the writer, I'm also one of the two performers in the piece. Josh Pyne, the other actor, worked with me to define the tricky partner choreography and was invaluable as an outside eye for the monologues and movement that he wasn't directly involved in. He's not a trained dancer so he really has a unique perspective toward the choreography in the piece. - Which character from a Shakespeare play would like your show the best: King Lear, Puck, Rosalind, or Lady Macbeth -- and why?
I would bet Rosalind or Lady Macbeth-those girls totally understand relationship complications.
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