SLAM!
Zellerbach Hall: UC Berkeley: October 5, 2024 8 pm
FLIPFABRIQUE AND EXMACHINA:
Robert Lepage
This extraordinary Canadian group brings us acrobatic and physical skills I have never seen elsewhere, except perhaps, in the old circus days when clowns and acrobats entertained between acts. But SLAM! Is unique: although the set is a boxing ring (albeit square), events and incidents occur all over the stage, below and above the rink! It is an amazing show although, for this viewer, almost too much.
The eight ‘acrobats’ perform multiple feats (with head, torsos and yes..feet) with most extraordinary skill. They juggle, confront and toss each other about, perform on ropes, right side up, upside down and in the case of one woman performer, almost inside out! Each event follows one another in a rapid pace, giving the audience almost no time to recover… although the performers seem to do so in marvelous speed. Fortunately, there is much alternation of performers so that necessary recovery time between events is provided. And then there is the janitor… who seems to be outside the events, picking up dropped objects and other used paraphernalia from the stage floor, outside the rink. But then, of course, he is a performer like no other, ascending to (and adjusting) a walk rope high above the rink. He executes balance feats, tumbling, ascent and descent superbly executed.
SLAM! Is a thrilling 90 minutes of events. This viewer (who alas tires easily) was longing for a quiet moment of non-activity, hoping the performers would just be still sloughing off all skills and just be lazy. Lepage keeps them moving: we are amazed!
The performers are: Jéremie Arsenauft, Fabien Cortes, Maerva Desplat, Naomi Eddu, Jonathan Julien, Stephine Pansa, Cédrik Pinault and Adele Saint-Martin.