Pan Pan Theatre's The Seagull at SFIAF
May 27, 2016
* Notes *
Pan Pan Theatre performed a frenetic mash-up version of The Seagull at the San Francisco International Arts Festival last night. Chekhov's dark play of overlapping love triangles, artistic failure, and suicide is not only interspersed with Bach and Tchaikovsky (complete with balletic dancing), but with scenes of cocaine binges and very self-reflexive commentary.
The 75 minute piece has all six performers dressed in leotards, tights, and in some cases tutus or ballet skirts. There is much physicality on view, everyone dances. Both Una McKevitt and Judith Roddy do impressive acrobatics pretty much levitating over Dick Walsh. It was weirdly awkward and showed much strength and skill.
It was a lively evening and there were many laughs. Many audience members were brought up on stage to participate, most funny was when McKevitt demanded ten handsome men, lined the up and had each say "I love you but I can't smile" to the person to his right, one by one.
I found a small segment of Roddy and Andrew Bennett pretending to be rappers rather tiresome, but for the most part it was a raucous, fun performance. It was especially fitting that the seagulls outside of Cowell Theater could be heard during the few quiet moments of the night.
* Tattling *
The panelists for "The Future of Theater Criticism" at the Magic Theatre had to hustle over to make it in time for curtain.