You Need to Read Poetry
__a review by Leena Prasad
poetry, dramatized
as conversations
as a dance
as experiences —
shared.
The group “Performers under Stress” has developed a unique and compelling presentation of poetry by invoking the dramatic arts of modern dance and theatre. The show titled “You Need to Read Poetry” had a run from November through December of 2012 in San Francisco SOMA’s Bindlestiff Studio. This is an enjoyable venture for anyone with even the slightest interest in poetry.
The actors infused life into the poems via dramatic readings in the form of interpretive dance, conversations, dramatic scenes, and sometimes simply by powerful vocal play. The eight performers of diverse ages, ethnicities, and genders worked together to create a poetic symphony. The black walls, ceilings and floor of the space and the (mostly) black clothes of the performers added another level of drama to the visual palate. A husky background sound, created by a woman playing a stand-up bass, infused a sense of intrigue.
The show featured over forty 20th and 21st century American poets, including Anne Sexton, Billy Collins, Charles Bukowski, e.e. cummings, Imamu Amiri Baraka, Jack Kerouac, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
“You Need to Read Poetry” was divided into two acts. The first act was outstanding. The second act has some room for fine-tuning.
Act 1
1. Let Me See Your Shadow
“Introduction to poetry” by Billy Collins kicked off the show. Then, the actors vocalized introductory phrases from many poets as the name of the poem and poet was printed in large white block letters against a black background film screen. In between, a black and white kaleidoscope of films rolled across the screen. One of the films was a clip from Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.
2. Love Poems
Delivered with a combination of seductive movements, theatrical performance, and vocal sultriness, the poems chosen for this set of scenes were captivating. The scene header, however, should be Erotic Poems.
3. The Beats and Beyond
This was a full reading of several poems, executed in various forms ranging from dance to conversations to straight readings. The most remarkable performance was of the poem “San Francisco Scene” by Jack Kerouac. For this poem, the actors enacted a play set inside a bar where a poetry reading occurs with audience participation.
Act 2
1. Poetry Slam
This was the worst experience in the entire ensemble. The actual poets failed to show and thus the actors were inducted to present their own poems. One of the poets had to scramble to find one of his published poems on the internet. There were four readers. One woman sang, another one rapped, and two people read somewhat mediocre poetry. It did not have the spirit of a poetry slam, but the judges, selected from the audience, chose the rap song as one of the winning entries.
2. Stories from the Men
Several men shared the reading of one poem, adding their own individual interpretation to the lines, or one man read a poem in its entirety.
3. Stories from the Women
Similar to its male counterpart, this segment featured several women sharing the reading of one poem, adding their own individual interpretation to the lines, or one woman reading a poem in its entirety.
A particularly memorable rendition of the poem “Skin” by Lucia Perillo was performed by a beautiful Asian woman, who stood on stage wearing nothing but a red towel. She used her exposed shoulders, bare legs, and voice to create a sultry effect. Despite being a heterosexual woman, I was completely enraptured by her sensuality.
The last performance in the show, “Cigarettes,” written by B.H. Fairchild, felt shrill and uninspiring, and it lasted too long. In my opinion, the show would be better off without this piece.
Overall, my friend and I enjoyed the night immensely and would probably go back to see another performance. I hope this show returns for another run in 2013.
This is Leena’s first formal poetry review. She runs a monthly poetry workshop and details on her experience with poetry can be found at her writing portfolio site: http://www.FishRidingABike.com.
More details about the show, the actors, and the director, can be found at http://www.PerformersUnderStress.com.