Enter a room with no chairs. There are two women in striped leotards running in place (Kelly Bond and Melissa Krodman {Melissa has the curly hair}). You mill about looking for a place to sit and eventually decide to stand (or sit on the floor as several folks did). The running continues. And slowly the running changes. Everything in this piece is built painstakingly from one movement to the next. The women move through the crowd deliberately (and some people were actually kind enough to move {and some people were total impediments to the show [including one woman whose cell phone started playing music and didn’t stop for about three minutes]. The entire dance is in some form of unison and they almost never lose their rhythm. At one point they begin to speak to the audience. Then they move back together and the piece ends with them still dancing in sync as you leave the room.
Reasons Not to Go: Alright, I really enjoyed this show, but there are a few reasons not to see it. Do not see this show if you have a walker or a cane. If you can’t stand for an hour, don’t go. That’s about it.
Reasons To Go See This Show: So many! First, the dancing is lovely. The personalities of the performers really shine through when they begin talking and singing and dancing with each other. Kelly has a very punky vibe. She gives off the aura of someone who would smile at you in a bar one minute and the next thing you know you are waking up three days later in New Orleans with a no memory of what happened (but the vague feeling that you definitely need to try it again). Melissa’s movements and voice scream smoky seductress. You want to place her in a velvet gown on top of a piano (with just enough leg showing to let you know you need to have it {but couldn’t possibly afford it}).
One of the best moments is when the girls start speaking. Watch as they go down the line of people and look for the reactions of anticipation or utter terror people realize that their turn approaches. There is even a bit of comedy thrown into the piece (though maybe it’s just me who finds everything a bit funny). At one point they start singing in unison “One Singular Sensation” as they copy each other’s moves. That gave me a little giggle. And the whole show left me with some questions and some strange thoughts. They are always in unison. They never break their tie of perfect synced movement. And yet you continually check to see if they are changing their routine. And a final thought: That people will show you just how comfortable they are with stillness. Most people will jouney into stillness with the performers, but there were several who got quite uncomfortable and actually started wandering around the room.
Go see the show. You will walk away with some new thoughts to cherish, and that’s what theater is all about.
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Thanks for the review, Cyle!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Colony and many thanks for the thoughts! I would just like to mention that our show can actually be accessible to folks who can’t stand for the piece. We are amenable to people sitting on the edge of the stage area if they need (although indeed, at times we will still move through), or for folks really requiring a seat for the entire piece we can bring out a folding chair upon request, or accommodate for a wheelchair. We are trying to ‘encourage’ walking, but definitely want all people who’d like to see this show to be able to.
Thanks again!!!!
Melissa