dependent study

Written & Directed by Andrew Schneider

Produced by Big Picture Group

At Live Bait Theater

3914 N. Clark

Chicago, IL

Call 847-297-5285, tickets $15

Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8:15

Sundays at 5 PM

Running time 70 minutes with no intermission

Through January 29, 2006

dependent study is an intoxicating performance art piece

I admire theatre groups who dare to experiment, who dare to innovate, who challenge and push the threshold of theatre. Big Picture sure does that with dependent study. This performance art piece uses multimedia (TV, live video, slide projection and live microphones) plus interesting visual lighting and sound images against a set-less black box. Filled with many short scenes and weird vignettes, dependent study is a disjointed, plotless surreal look at a boy (Allen Aquino) and a girl (Sally Bell) who seem to be involved in a psychological study and/or a dreaming/hallucinating or something like that? Take a guess.

The press note explain:

 “Boy meets girl meet 21st century America in dependent study, the latest from Big Picture Group, Chicago’s newest multi-media theatre company. Boy and Girl are on a collision course with media culture in this original performance piece, and the crash leaves them desperately trying to sort out the difference between love and sex, body and image, reality and virtuality. dependent study captures the everyday catastrophes of love in an expressionistic collage of poetry and prose, sound, video, music, and live performance.”

The theme of communication is vividly expressed but my problem is the lack of cohesive dramatic arc. The piece has some unique and provocative moments but the many blackout breaks the mood and gives the work an “actor’s exercise” feel.

Aquino and Bell work hard as they plod through the visually stimulating scenes achieving some interesting chemistry in one scene and utter strangeness in another. The piece is tedious, in need of cuts but it pushes the envelope of theatre with a curiously haunting use of lighting, sound and media.

 Those who look for different, off-the-wall shows will enjoy this one. Traditional theatre patrons (like me) will have a hard time getting anything from this performance art show. There is an audience for this type of theatre, just be warned it is way, way out there.

Somewhat Recommended

Tom Williams

Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments

Talk Theatre in Chicago Radio Show

January 12, 2006