`Cruel Garden' is a danse macabre
"No tutus or pointe shoes?" my friends asked in disbelief. "Wait, are you sure you're going to the ballet?"
Absolutely. In Houston Ballet's production of Cruel Garden , I saw dead bodies, murderous bulls, a giant cockerel and a dance marathon with zombies.
These are some of the images, portrayed through the dancers of the Houston Ballet, that are woven into the life of Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca.
The dance/theater piece was conceived by cosmopolitan artist Lindsay Kemp and brilliantly choreographed by the amazing Christopher Bruce. It involves more than dancing -- we listen to a poetry reading, the resonant voice of mezzo-soprano Isabelle Ganz and the harmony of a men's quartet.
The dance piece is not a dry biography of Lorca's life but instead, a series of symbolic images.
The piece first starts in a blood-splattered bull ring in Spain where the Moon (Paul LeGros), "who reveals but betrays," dances wildly until he goes to the side of the giant pale-faced Inquistor (Trey McIntyre).
Then, the Poet (Karl Vakili) enters and meets the angry Bull, played by Mark Arvin, a guest dancer who recently left his principal dancer position with the company.
The Bull is the symbol of death, and the Poet interacts with him as matador and bride. The dancing for these two roles is extraordinary; the audience can see the power each character has through his strong movements.
After the initial encounter with the Bull, the Poet moves on to see St. Gabriel and the Gypsies who fascinated Lorca. The audience can see the oppression in the Gypsies as they dance in their dreary-colored costumes designed by Kemp.
The Poet moves on to the illustrious El Café de Chinitas, a cafe full of artists and symbols. The Poet is now the masked bride of the death-like Lover, but their dance is interrupted by the Black Guard, who comes in to murder all the Bride's friends.
Next we find Lorca in New York, where he transforms before our eyes into Buster Keaton. He is now in one of his poems where we see a cockerel, a girl with the head of a nightingale, American ladies and a Negro.
The most unnerving role in this scene is that of the Negro (Sean Kelly) who dances to illustrate the oppresion of blacks which Lorca found so disillusioning. Kelly does an excellent job in his portrayal of the character.
We see Lorca's ultimate disillusionment in the climax of the America section when he wanders through a marathon dance contest, complete with a disco ball and the living dead.
Returning to Spain, the Poet meets up with the Bull once more. This time, the Bull has brought his friends, symbolizing the Nationalists who captured Lorca in 1936. The dancing by now has reached extraordinary levels, and the sequence with the bulls is powerful and overwhelming.
But it is the original Bull who kills the Poet by impaling him. Often likened to Christ, the Poet/Lorca dies in an effort to save his people. The scene is heart-wrenching, and Vakili's final staggering steps pull you out of your seat.
Cruel Garden is quite a show, sending its meaning to the audience with more than just a few leaps and turns.
Cruel Garden runs only three more performances, March 1-3 at the Wortham Theatre. Call 227-ARTS for ticket info.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the March 1, 1996 issue.
Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights
Reserved.
This document may be distributed
electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety
and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted
without the express written permission of:
The Rice
Thresher, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, TX 77005-1892, USA.
The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@rice.edu