Aurelia's Oratorio in Berkeley The Young Victoria Rises to Power
Aurelia Thierrée has used the ecclesiastical, usually vocalized oratorio form to physicalize her own religious tribute to her surreal imagination. She uses her mime, dance and acrobatic skills to perform a series of mysterious, quirky fantasies set to an unpredictable score that ranges from chamber music to jazz, all on mostly bare stage with a minimum of props. Her show, conceived for her by her mother, uses three assistants and features works by dancer Jaime Martinez. She is fascinating to watch and he gracefully enacts some bizarre situations. Co-producers Crying Out Loud UK seek to present material that is appealing to audiences of all ages.
From her opening as a contortionist inside three dresser drawers at once to her untimely demise in the sands of an hourglass, she encounters collapsing draperies, a giant ogre, a vicious gnome, and malevolent animals. Her sense of humor and sense of invention are woven tightly into the visual texture of this wordless show. To operate a small set piece she bends a rope and mimes a crank. One skit uses skewed angles and warped perspectives. She lies on the stage deck and pretends to walk across, as though she walked parallel to the Earth's surface. Then she flies a kite, but it stays on the ground and she holds the string from a flying position above the stage
Jaime and she work together on some acts, but his solo pieces continue the theme of altered perceptions with good-natured surprises and persecution by ill-willed inanimate objects. He does amazing stunts as a three-legged man, and his fling with an empty overcoat is amusing. Then it turns comically dark when the coat turns around and tries to strangle him.
This is a great family show, ideal for the season. Aurelia is lithe and energetic. Her focus on the part at hand is lovingly intense, and she presents a strong stage presence. Jaime's modern-dance styles are refreshingly quick and he uses them succinctly to depict the theme and actions of each story. The seventy minute one-act leaves the audience ready for a second act. Seeing more of Ms. Thierrée would be an aesthetically pleasurable treat anytime of the year.
Aurelia's Oratorio continues through January 24 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($33 to $71) are available online at www.berkeleyrep.org or by phone at 510.647.2949.
From her opening as a contortionist inside three dresser drawers at once to her untimely demise in the sands of an hourglass, she encounters collapsing draperies, a giant ogre, a vicious gnome, and malevolent animals. Her sense of humor and sense of invention are woven tightly into the visual texture of this wordless show. To operate a small set piece she bends a rope and mimes a crank. One skit uses skewed angles and warped perspectives. She lies on the stage deck and pretends to walk across, as though she walked parallel to the Earth's surface. Then she flies a kite, but it stays on the ground and she holds the string from a flying position above the stage
Jaime and she work together on some acts, but his solo pieces continue the theme of altered perceptions with good-natured surprises and persecution by ill-willed inanimate objects. He does amazing stunts as a three-legged man, and his fling with an empty overcoat is amusing. Then it turns comically dark when the coat turns around and tries to strangle him.
This is a great family show, ideal for the season. Aurelia is lithe and energetic. Her focus on the part at hand is lovingly intense, and she presents a strong stage presence. Jaime's modern-dance styles are refreshingly quick and he uses them succinctly to depict the theme and actions of each story. The seventy minute one-act leaves the audience ready for a second act. Seeing more of Ms. Thierrée would be an aesthetically pleasurable treat anytime of the year.
Aurelia's Oratorio continues through January 24 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($33 to $71) are available online at www.berkeleyrep.org or by phone at 510.647.2949.
Queen Victoria of England rose to the throne because of her father’s lack of a male heir, this much is true. In the movie The Young Victoria, her possible reactions and growth are dramatized in a lushly romantic costume drama of epic proportions. This film explores the development of a young woman as she rises to an extraordinary level of power and tries to shed hereditary bonds that would keep her from exercising her free will. Producers Sarah Ferguson and Martin Scorsese have paid amply close attention to historical fact.
With Emily Blunt as the Queen, the movie delineates the early years of England's longest-reigning monarch. The story begins before her accession to the throne, details her surprisingly passionate, politically motivated love affair with Prince Albert of Germany (Rupert Friend) who married her and became her Royal Consort, and ends before the royal couple complete some of the major accomplishments of the Industrial Age.
Blunt's portrayal of a privileged woman who, dominated by well-meaning but oppressive family and ministers, finds her own voice and mature confidence as she takes the throne. During the film's story Blunt exhibits first naïveté then recognition of the effects this immense worldwide power is having on her and her relationship with her lover.
Friend as the Consort does an admirable job of acting the difficult part of a bedroom companion with no constitutional status or power, but who has significant influence over his spouse. He is devoted to her, and being of royal background himself respects her power. Friend is able to show Albert’s love for his wife and to keep his stiff Teutonic spine in the face of her queenly demands.
The compelling story of Victoria’s coming of age is richly detailed with glorious costuming and site-specific location settings. She was the first English sovereign to live in Buckingham Palace; the new rooms look lovely. All dressing, props, makeup, and attitudes seamlessly interweave to evoke a bygone age. The compelling cinematography moves effortlessly from grand spectacle through palatial rooms to intimate encounters. Aside from the accurate historical narrative, the movie presents a deeply moving insight to a young woman’s ascendant struggle to fulfill her destiny as a country’s most powerful figure.
The Young Victoria opens in theaters on December 18.