BWW Reviews: Witness Relocation Presents the Intelligent and Humorous ETERNIDAY at La Mama

Witness Relocation's production of "Eterniday," performed at La Mama from April 4th to the 21st, is a vibrant and eclectic show that all lovers of great performance should see. The play is an hour long production, including text, monologue, conversation, dance, extreme physicality, supplemental visuals, and so much more about the history of the universe and man's presence in it. Topics such as love, death, the meaning of life, and coexistence are touched upon. There is a strong juxtaposition made between the laws that govern nature and the random occurrences of human existence. This philosophical commentary takes the viewer on a journey of one entire day, and manages to fit a great deal of human existence into this small time period.

While each viewer must make his own decision about the subject matter and the commentary on human existence and relationships, there is no doubt that this show is top notch in regards to performance. Each monologue and conversation was acted with ingenious sensitivity to the subject matter and recognition of the audience. The writing by Chuck Mee is creative and interesting, and all of the performers demonstrated a great understanding of the material. The performers are movers or dancers, in addition to being actors, which added a nice layer to the execution of the text. Some of the monologues included illustration with the actor's body. This type of fusion and awareness of space helps to create a texture for the words to travel through.

The dancing and physicality of the show were also wonderful. The choreography by director Dan Safer was smart and sexy. While not all of the performers were of professional dance stature, the stage presence and connections between the performers made the dances simultaneously hilarious, yet at times uncomfortable to watch. Since the dance in this show was often performed independently, it was also a supportive element to the overall theme of the play. The dance, text, music, and visual aids all supported each other in a way so that one element never over-dominated the others.

"Eterniday" most definitely pushes the members in the audience to their limit; however, it does it in a way that is satisfying and exciting. The vulgar, yet very human, moments in the show are displayed in such a tasteful way that you find yourself wanting more and more. Each choice in "Eterniday" added to the overall theme of the play, making it cohesive and fulfilling. There is not much of a linear story line, but the fast pace, strong performance and witty text keep the audience engaged and willing to travel on this zany journey. This show is most definitely not for everyone. However, someone who enjoys honest commentary on the somewhat ridiculous aspects of human nature will love this show. The cynical humor, shock value, yet heartfelt moments strewn throughout, make "Eterniday" a rare viewing experience, and one that will definitely leave the audience thinking about what it saw.

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