Review: DANCE ME TO THE END OF LOVE - Scenes of Beauty and Discovery

A collection of EM Lewis's one-act plays, DramaDogs's production of Dance Me to the End of Love delivers earnest, emotional realism in concentrated bursts. Rising action is minimal in each of these short pieces; the scenes initiate with the most essential kernel of the conflict and present characters on the cusp of discovery. The relationships that drive the dramatic action are raw and accessible: whether it's an elderly woman without a license clinging to independence by staging an impromptu sit-in to prevent her son from selling her car, or two actors striving to discover authentic emotion for a scene, the interactions in Dance Me to the End of Love expose characters in intimate and defining moments.

DramaDogs delivers memorable vignettes that feature specific choreography and stage design, resulting in interesting visual tableaus. Each piece utilizes a color to augment thematic elements of the scene: red represents the ripeness of an apple orchard and the fresh wound of a familial death in "Apple Season"; pale yellow complements the softness discovered in the search for genuine emotion in "If We Kissed"; purple is the deep, flushed color of wine, lust, and seduction in "Ask Roberto." One play, "Gin," lacked the potency and impetus of the other scenes-it consisted mostly of clever dialogue without subtext, and meandered. Another, "Reveille," with its dependence on the sentimentality of a father airing final objections about his son's decision to join the service-and their subsequent farewell-walked the line of emotional exaggeration. The remaining six pieces were successful in concept and execution.

Standout dramatic performances include George Coe and Jennifer Marco in both "Sing Me That Leonard Cohen Song Again" and "Apple Season." Also noteworthy is Bonnie Lewis's comedic performance as a frazzled wife desperate to reawaken marital passion in "Ask Roberto." Directors Ken Gilbert and Bonnie Lewis build their characters with a toolbox of precise physical movements, and in "Roberto," Lewis channels a frantic hen. In "Apple Season," Will Rizzell (Coe) kicks dirt in distraction with his toe; it's a character quirk that reveals a restrained discomfort as he negotiates the sale of a recently inherited apple orchard. Mary Fogarty (Marco), who's father owned the orchard previously, tells Rizzell he can have the property if he retrieves her purse from the kitchen table-and then burns the house down. It's a perfectly good house, Rizzell says. He can't imagine burning it without reason. The price of the orchard, Fogarty maintains, is the destruction of her childhood home. He kicks dirt, momentarily undecided, and they exit in opposite directions. Rizzell re-enters a moment later to a deserted stage, red purse in an outstretched hand.

Dance Me to the End of Love is a well-constructed series of scenes that showcases outstanding playwriting, memorable performances, and a well-defined directorial vision. The immediacy of the storytelling allows both players and audience to be constantly present: Dance Me to the End of Love side steps the distraction of slow-cooked exposition and conveys the human experience with sincerity and elegant efficiency.

DramaDogs presents: Dance Me to the End of Love

Directed by Ken Gilbert and E Bonnie Lewis

October 2-5 @ Center Stage Theater, Santa Barbara

www.dramadogs.org

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