Anjal Chande, a multidisciplinary artist, performed a work of solo dance-theater last Friday at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater. Initially planned as a collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, the performance was rescheduled due to injury and is now featured as part of the Steppenwolf’s “LookOut Series” highlighting experimental Chicago artists.
Finally gracing the stage, the highly anticipated experimental piece is an exploration of the never-ending impulses that run through our minds, everyday moments, and the contradictory experiences that occur in between. Chande utilized a multiplicity of artistic mediums — movement, spoken word storytelling, musical accompaniment, and a variety of props — to reflect on her childhood, familial relations, her experience as a “model minority” and more. As Chande delved into her own lived experience, she evoked parallel experiences in the audience, stirring universal feelings, even as specific memories differ.
The atmosphere was set to be a night of intimacy as a ginger and turmeric tea station greeted audience members walking into the small theater. The auditorium, only able to hold a max of around 50 seats, started to swim in the sweet aroma of tea as people began to fill the space.
To reach their seats, guests were forced to dodge scattered objects painted construction-cone orange, a color that commanded attention to the items before the performance began. Objects include: a ladder laid nervously on its side, a stool propped upside down, a table holding a variety of large-scale, jagged puzzle pieces with edges like sharp mountain peaks, rolled-out construction paper that audibly crumpled with every step placed upon it, a cup of Chande’s own tea. The environment felt invitingly casual and intimate.
Anjal Chande; Photo by Kylie Bellard
Chande starts with an endearing sense of familiarity. Making eye contact with various audience members, she extends a soft “hello” and “hi” to whomever met her gaze. Confined to such a small space and with such intense eye contact, it felt as if Chande could see into your soul and hear your every thought. After a short moment, she began to deconstruct these common greetings. With a focus on the vowels, she elongated the usually soothing phrases into an uncomfortably elongated “eh” followed by a nasally, sharp “I.” Experimenting with these sounds while precariously perched on the edge of the crooked ladder, the audience had an up-close introduction to how the rest of the show would proceed, a series of intimate monuments of artistic exploration that requires personal engagement.
It is moments of witnessing Chande tell stories on personal matters — about her grandfather and her suburban upbringing and experiences with money and art — that truly enhance the performance. Chande casually sips tea, at ease, and delves into the more mundane aspects of her life and how they shaped her relationship with the world. These moments of vulnerability are woven throughout the improvisational movement and evoke that of a friendly conversation rather than a spoken performance.
Not all stories or movements are executed in such a casual manner. Chande uses the orange objects around her to prop these emotions: towering herself off the top rung of the newly erect ladder, heatedly announcing “I’m angry,” crushing paper at the beat of her own story, slamming the various puzzle-esque shapes around her in a confining circle; Chande was able to mix senses to create an all-encompassing experience.
The addition of piano accompaniment by recent Chicago transplant Sharon Udoh was an amazing inclusion. While Chande incorporated a significant amount of improvisation, Udoh had a few anchor points to follow, which resulted in a seamless and beautiful synchronization that showcased Udoh’s own improvisational expertise, often matching Chande with uncanny precision. It was a beautiful collaboration that complemented and enhanced each individual's form of artistic expression.
After Chande finished one last conversation with the audience, Udoh closed the show with a stunning vocal performance that raised the energy for one final goodbye, a powerful ending that solidified the talent between these two artists.
“The Next Cup of Tea” runs March 8-16 at Steppenwolf 1700 Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St.; tickets are $11-$33 at steppenwolf.org or by clicking the event link below.