Adapted from Two Short Stories by Anton Chekhov
Adapted and Directed by Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar / Big Dance Theater
Choreographed by Annie-B Parson
Featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jess Barbagallo, Tymberly Canale, Chris Giarmo, and Aaron Mattocks
An intriguing, ultimately irresistible evening of live performance and mixed media.
—Hartford Examiner
Internationally acclaimed dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov teams up with Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar, the creative duo behind Big Dance Theater, to act in this experimental theater work based on two of Anton Chekhov’s 1898 short stories. Through the device of a tale within a tale, two friends on a hunting trip share stories late into the night. In “The Man in a Case,” a rigid and officious man’s attempted courtship of a vibrant young woman forces him to come face to face with his limitations, while “About Love” relives one man’s inability to act on his passion for a woman he truly loves. Witty and full of despair, both are morally ambiguous tales of fear trumping the pursuit of life’s most promising possibilities.
Drawing from material as varied as surveillance footage, folk dance, instructional hunting videos, and interviews with the cast, Big Dance Theater returns for their fourth MCA Stage project to create acompelling theatrical presentation that bridges our modern sensibilities to these anti-love stories of 19th-century Russia.
Mikhail Baryshnikov consistently pushes forward with his artistic explorations. Currently committed to theater-based investigations, he says: “This is an experimental work. . . multi-faceted and drawing from many different mediums—dance, theater, video, and sound. It’s not a dance show.” Baryshnikov is joined onstage with a cast that includes Big Dance Theater company members Jess Barbagallo, Tymberly Canale, Chris Giarmo, and Aaron Mattocks.
Running Time: 75 minutes
At the request of the artist, there will be no late seating.
Strobe lights will be used during the performance.
