Poetry New York

-Sophie Gordon

            Richard Foreman’s “Deep Trance Behavior in Potatoland” is the most bizarre performance I have ever witnessed. When exiting the theater and hour and 2 minutes after my arrival, I left unenlightened and confused, not two things one would expect after a stage performance. But I found myself asking, “Is that the point?” This play questions our reality and forms of cognitive reasoning, developing an alternative state of being in which we are sucked into and thrashed around like a little China doll. Richard Forman has established a stage paved wall to wall turn of the century photos (most of which appear to have ghosts in the background), two pianos, and various other nonsensical props. The backdrop consists of two large screens dedicated to jumping from Japan to England and not necessarily related to the stage performance.

            A woman enters and dramatically places an available pill on her tongue. The image of a Japanese woman flashes across the screen along with the words “Go to Japan” as a demonic voice does commentary in the background. The other actors enter dressed in what looks like a medieval, 1980’s Dracula time warp apparel and are seemingly enthralled with the contents of the screen. We later learn that the stage and screen are not related, until some profound moment that causes them to be, a moment that is never explained or recognized. As the actors suggestively mull and crawl about the stage, the screens display various images of Japanese actors. Statements like, “I understand you immediately when you say…” are thrown around as the only male actor (seemingly a vampire) reaches into a well and reveals a question mark. He places it on his back as though a revelation has occurred, but soon crumbles and discards it. The screen jumps to England and numbers 1-10 count off on the screen with corresponding verbal assistance. The demonic voice returns and apparently, “young English people who understand work. This is work.” The Japanese women continue to be blind folded then the blindfold is undone, as the stage actors sporadically take more “pills”. Two of the women seem resistance, one seems addicted. We are later informed of the idea about a pill that if taken daily will link ordinary moments to universal truths. Meanwhile, it seems as though certain projected phrases were fairly important, even though I would have no way of knowing for sure. “The visitor is always dead amidst the excitement of the experiment.” Seemed profound when presented, but for all I know that could have just been a tactic of Richard Foreman. Oh and at some point a very large bird entered and seemingly impaled one of the actresses with its beak. I cannot say for sure what I saw, but with loud demonic voices and obscene flashing lights, it was definitely something.

            There is a fine line between being experimental and being ridiculous. This piece flirts with disaster and being acutely pretentious due to “deeply embedded meaning”, but has me on the fence of whether or not I enjoyed it. I don’t understand what I saw and do not feel more educated or enlightened having seeing it. Either I’m missing a profound meaning, or if there isn’t one, my brain is spinning to no accord. Regardless, if one is to attend this piece, enter with an open mind and no expectations. You will be lost, you will be confused and, no, it doesn’t all come together at the end.