By: David de Young
Directed by Jeremey Catterton
Photo of the preview performance of Idigaragua by Stacy Schwartz
Synopsis: Loosely based on short stories by Paul Bowles, an unnamed journalist gets drunk in a foreign bar, gets lost at sea, gets captured by pirates, gets married, builds a technocratic and unwelcome civilization in a foreign land, and more.
My first inclination as the metaphoric curtain fell on the preview performance of Idigaragua, the Fort Wilson Riot indie rock opera debuting this week at the Bedlam Theater, was to not only recommend it to others, but also to see it again. Maybe even a couple more times. With performances running until September 16th, I’ll get that chance. Also, at $12 a ticket, it won’t break the bank.
I’m not saying you can’t absorb Idigaragua in a single sitting, but there is a lot to digest. Finally seeing the full-blown production Thursday after seeing bits and pieces in rehearsal, I got what I should have been expecting; but I couldn’t have predicted what a visceral and participatory experience it would be as an audience member. From my seat in the front row, I could feel the breeze as the actors ran about the stage. I was even vaguely frightened during a swordplay scene. (Though I soon realized the swords weren’t real, in the low light while they were pointed right at me, I thought for a moment, well, you know.)
To call Idigaragua dramatic would be redundant and an understatement. The show is at times frenetic, and even in the calmer moments, you don't get much time to catch your breath. During the infrequent respites from action, I caught myself glancing to stage left to see who or what might come galloping onto the stage next. (Once a dancing cactus has made its entrance, it’s clear anything goes.)
Keeping up with the pace of the performance was the speed of the costume and prop changes - personally, I’d need a computer and barcode reader to try and keep track of all that stuff as it flew in one side of the stage and off the other.
In Idigaragua, the actors don’t sing or speak, instead they do a sort of Milli Vanilli exaggerated lip-sync to Fort Wilson Riot’s live performance on the elevated platform behind them. (This lip-synching had a comic effect at times when a female actor would mouth the words to a male voice, especially if the voice was Fort Wilson Riot bassist Joe Goggins’s deep baritone.)
Though the show has its Bennie Hill moments (chase scenes that are somewhat cartoonish in a Keystone Cops kind of way), the action and pace of the production keeps you as an audience member engaged in a serious and even contemplative way, so engaged at times you may even forget there’s a live band playing behind the actors.
Musically, there’s something here for everyone, from songs typical of musical theater, to pirate-themed show tunes, to instrumental sections of songs reaching into the territory the Polyphonic Spree or even the dissonant guitars of the Gang of Four. However the music may be broken out in your CD player (the accompanying disc to the show is comprised of 14 tracks), Idigaragua is technically a song suite in five parts, building to a crescendo about two thirds of the way through. (Run time of the show is just over an hour with no interval.) The musical and dramatic build is clearly not accidental and demonstrates a serious respect for and appreciation of form. Assembled less artfully -- and this is a testament to the skill of director Jeremey Catterton as much as to the band -- the entire show might easily be farcical instead of the thought-providing piece that it is.
A post-production discussion with the cast and crew centered on the lip-synching. Yes, the show is presented at rock show volume, and wise patrons wishing to care for their ears should wear earplugs (foam ones are provided free). But foam plugs may also interfere with your ability to make out the words, somewhat essential to your ability to follow the story. My suggestion is to come early enough to read the synopsis in your program. You can do this over a drink at the Bedlam bar right outside the theater entrance. And if the weather’s nice, take it up to the rooftop patio which has an outstanding view of the Minneapolis skyline. Alternatively, if you’re really ambitious, read the full lyrics – er, libretto, if you will - which Reveille Magazine published here.
Location Info:
Bedlam Theatre
Artist Info: Fort Wilson Riot
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