2boys.tv Multimedia Event

2BOYS.TV Conceived and Arranged by Aaron Pollard & Stephen Lawson. New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC), (Walker Theatre), 25 Van Ness Avenue near Market, San Francisco, California 94102. 415-861-8972 or www.nctcsf.org. Through August 31, 2008.

EXPECT MORE AND GET LESS

Program Note: The originally announced first act of 2boys.tv, Puree, has been cut from the final production. Tonight’s performance featuring Zona, will be performed without intermission (approximate run-time is 55 minutes).

Many of the attendees in the half empty Walker Theatre were chagrined, pleased or both that the Aaron Pollard & Stephen Lawson multimedia production of 2boys.tv was cut in half. Those who were chagrined probably understand “Dadaism” and/or are devotees of avant-garde cult, surrealism and Fluxus. Those who were pleased, were pleased to be able to leave after only 50 minutes, yet chagrined having paid full price for admission.

Giving a name to an art or theatre form serves two purposes. Once it has a name, it exists and it is easier for reviewers to fabricate erudite words of explanation. An apt description of Zona could be “A knock-off of drag icon Lypsinka meets Multimedia.” The infamous Lypsinka lip-syncs perfectly and hilariously to “canned” (pre-recorded) song and words.

Pollard and Lawson’s creditable reputation in the Canadian cult cabaret scene has been expanded to the international level. Zona first appeared in Calgary, Canada but the present version of Zona was created specifically for NCTC. Lawson performs in drag, lip-synching opera, movie soundtracks and TV video displays. Her costumes are mostly black, creating a bizarre sexuality as she avoids a holographic demon in the form of a naked man with a ferocious bear’s head. Her makeup evokes memories of David Henry Hwang’s M Butterfly as she sings an aria from Puccini’s opera. Pollard is the technical expert dovetailing fascinating audio-visual effects of video and movie clips intermingled with holographic projections as Lawson performs.

There are times when their creation shows genuine genius such when Lawson hovers over a miniature stage while non-verbally communicating with a live action video unfolding on a small TV screen. Again, the clever use of blank memory scrapbook pages used to project operatic scenes with accompanying super-titles. Unfortunately these moments are few or allowed to last too long.

Sound bites are taken from old movies include Ann Baxter (All About Eve), Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly Last Summer), many Bette Davis sayings etc. You will find yourself saying “I recognize that. Now what is it?” You may also question what is this all about. In a opening voice-over, Dementia praecox, an archaic term for madness, is mentioned. The protagonist’s ranting is cause enough to move her to another mad house. Out of sight, out of mind? The story line is a series of flash backs. The fragmented scenes apparently are an attempt to externalize the stages of descent into madness. The staging unfolds with agonizing slowness never capturing the attributes of dementia praecox and intermittently creating sparkling theatre.
Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine