Day 1, Thursday 8/4 - 4pm

Swim Home from Mikael Rudolph at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church

Mom says, "All the pieces of a very good show were there, but I don't think they were in the right order."

This one provided some interesting fodder for discussion.

The venue - It's much easier to get to than I thought it would be. It's a hike, but it's very near 50th and France (a major hub in these parts), so if you know your way there, Lake Harriet United Methodist Church isn't far away. However, bring a wrap. The air-conditioning is so powerful, it's downright drafty. The vaulted ceiling of the sanctuary is an impressive site, making for a very interesting performance/audience space.

The performance - Extremely family friendly, if you don't mind a bit of proselytizing toward the end.

Mikael Rudolph is very gifted performer. His ability to make us think the objects he works with are defying gravity and/or have a mind of their own is eye-popping, "how'd he do that?" stuff. A large stone which seems to float, resist him or drag him around is the most potent example.

Also very successful is a Quasimodo-like alter ego, involving enormous hands and mask work, who plays with the title of the show, and reveals to us that it's an anagram.

A touching moment of dancing with a green dress, that evolves from woman to baby to little girl to young woman, is first rate work with the simplest of props.

The performance is just the right mix of absolute silence, balanced with different styles of background music for some parts. The variety helped guide the audience along, set the pace and keep the show moving.

About the proselytizing - It was best when it was subtle. The performance opens with a sequence set to an instrumental version of the Christmas carol "O Holy Night." It quickly becomes apparent that Rudolph is portraying one of the wise men, traveling to the nativity scene of Christ's birth. It was a funny, compelling, and ultimately quite moving piece of work.

Later, after some goofy prop work, suddenly we're having the crucifixion put in front of us. The juxtaposition was jarring, but given the way the show started, not entirely unexpected. The creepiest moment was, I think, completely unplanned. When Jesus died and the lights went down, the climate control apparatus caused a settling and creaking in the vaulted ceiling of the sanctuary. At least, I think that was the climate control system doing that. Right? Hmmm...

When a mime speaks at the end of his show, that's an interesting moment of breaking with convention. And though it was clearly a white Christian point of view being espoused, I didn't feel particularly bludgeoned by it. He made it clear that it was his own individual belief, and the things he was calling for, greater understanding and compassion in response to the AIDS crisis among them, I certainly can't argue with.

He didn't end on his strongest material - an enactment of the lyrics of some generic Christain rock power ballad. I'm sure some people like that music, but I find it all a little simple and self-congratulatory ("See, I'm a good person.") If that's your thing, you probably would like the ending.

But speaking of endings, Mom made a good point. She takes issue with the whole way of telling the Christ story that many people have, particularly these days. They stop at the cross. That's not the end of the story. Many people have died in the past, and continue even today to die for their religion. But the thing that supposedly sets Jesus apart, and on which Christianity is based, is that he didn't just die, he rose from the dead, appeared to his followers, and ascended to heaven. If you're going to tell the story - starting with Christmas and going through Good Friday - don't leave out Easter. Maybe it's designed to preach to the converted, to emphasize the sacrifice, but if you tell the beginning and middle of the story and not the end, you're not making your case. Mom pointed out several scenes of the resurrection that, given his considerable gifts, Mikael Rudolph could have easily and compellingly performed. An opportunity missed.

All in all, though, a cut above the everyday performance, an interesting example of the Spiritual Fringe, and a good way for Mom and I to start the Fringe as a whole.

The remaining performances of Swim Home are just during this opening weekend, so if you want to catch him, you need to act fast: (today) Friday 8/5 at 7pm, (also today) Friday 8/5 at 10pm, Saturday 8/6 at 5:30pm, and Sunday 8/7 at 2:30pm

Friday, August 5, 2005 @ 12:51 PM
Filed under 4 Star Shows - Also Darn Good

Audience Comments

Posted August 5, 2005 at 3:15 PM by Eli
It's our shark! Matthew, that's our shark! Mikael Rudolph. From the 24-Hour Play Festival. Yay!