At the Bluma Appel Theatre until Oct. 20.
Written by Jonathan Young and Kevin Kerr. Created with and directed by Kim Collier. Production designed by David Roberts. Costumes by Nancy Bryant. Lighting by Alan Brodie. Starring Jonathan Young, Dawn Petten and Laura Mennell.
TEAR THE CURTAIN is director/creator Kim Collier’s latest vivid, imagistic, startling creation. This time she explores the worlds of theatre and film, reality vs imagination, the subconscious, chaos and randomness, intimacy and distance, to name a few. With nods to Laterna Magica and Emma Rice’s production of Brief Encounter, Collier blends theatre with film in which characters on stage dissolve into the film projected large behind and around the stage. Are we in a play? A film? Both? Which begs the question, why?
Once again in a Collier creation, story does not seem as important as the filmic/theatrical effect. Writers Jonathan Young and Kevin Kerr substitute ‘story’ for musings, usually from the mouth of Alex Braithwaite, who says he’s a very important theatre critic. One wonders in what fantasy land he holds this august post—perhaps he’s a legend in his own mind.
While the visuals are a dazzling mix of film and theatricality, the script is a jumble of esoteric navel-gazing pretentiousness.
Full review on CIUT FRIDAY MORNING 89.5 FM on Friday, Oct. 12 from 9 am to 10 am.