Choreographer and Director Esther Pauline Farley and Bodies of Water present a “tribute to the freedom and fierce independence of every woman who has ever been told what they need” in “Femme & Fatal," running through Nov. 24 at Theater Wit. A program note from Farley reads like an abstract to a dissertation on the concerns of 20th-century feminism, but the work presented is neither dry nor academic nor disgruntled; the work is a celebration of women archetypes told from their perspective, not as the patriarchal stereotypes that we’ve come to know through popular culture.
The first act is a series of solos, different scenarios where women flirt with the idea of autonomy and independence. The setting is an art deco nightclub with an illuminated bar, the sides and corners of the big room left in shadow. Dancers wear a mélange of dresses and suits typical of the 1930s-1960s. Standout performances include “Darlin (you),” a thought-provoking piece by guest choreographer and performer Sophie Minouche Allen to different versions of “You Send Me” by Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding that start and stop mid phrase. With a broad smile, Allen spins and sweeps the floor with her leg in exaltation while the music is playing; when the music stops, she keeps going, but a look of unease crosses her face, creating delicious moments where she flirts with the audience while masking unease, as if the audience was the unscrupulous partner who is leading her on.
"Femme & Fatal," with Bruno Salgado and Lena Janes
In “Mais C’est Paris” by guest choreographer Sydney Jones, dancer Haley Tarling is a powerhouse, performing a leap and a roll that effortlessly travels the length of the room. Jones creates all manners of angular shapes with her body, each one as sharp and precise as a still photograph. Later, Jones returns as a blonde bombshell in “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a spoof on the hypersexuality of the Marilyn Monroe archetype that features Jones in a tight pink dress as dancers Bennet Cullen and Bruno Salgado in jacketless tuxedos fawn over her. Jones’ allure is not limited to men, and she is soon taken away by a cadre of women seeking gossip and glamour—while the less lavishly dressed women in the program mostly dance alone, look at how much attention the overtly sexualized woman gets!
Other highlights include a tender, fluid and sultry solo by Ava Farley in “The Man that Got Away,” a boozy number where Esther Pauline Farley mimics drunkenness, stumbling gracefully in and out of turns, to Leanard Cohen’s “Thanks for the Dance,” and Catie Armbrecht in “Stormy Weather,” appearing as a ballet dancer breaking out of the archetype, achieving a defined port de bras only to hyperextend and throw it away.
"Femme & Fatal," with Catie Armbrecht
The second act is like a different show that shifts from reality into the realm of the surreal, and noted in the program as commentary on the life and work of Joan Bennet, the queen of film Noir femme fatales. In “Fatal Attraction,” a jealous duel between Cullen and Salgado over Armbrecht leads to a vicious murder. Then in “Echoes of the Past,” three enigmatic women appear to help Armbrecht cover up the killing, and they swish and swoosh back and forth as if divining the future—the piece draws parallels to the encounter between Hamlet and the three witches. A grunge-infused finale, “Fatal,” has six women in alluring black outfits letting loose, delivering all their angst in one final burst—the dancers highlighted in red light while the background is bathed in blue gives a wonderful pop art impression, like an homage to Andy Warhol’s series on Marilyn Monroe.
This take on “dance theatre” by Farley is highly effective. Bitter and sweet, “Femme & Fatal” is the work of an emerging director/choreographer with a canny ability to weave complex social themes into her work while keeping the action on stage light, inviting and provocative.
“Femme & Fatal” is presented by Bodies of Water and runs through Nov. 24 at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont. Showtimes are Fri. and Sta. at 7:30pm; Sun at 2pm. Tickets are $25 at theaterwit.org.
