Friday, December 7, 2018

The Head and the Load

B+


After a sold-out run at the Tate Modern earlier this year, William Kentridge’s remarkable multimedia piece about the overlooked role of Africans in World War I is having its North American premiere at the Park Avenue Armory. Although over a million Africans were conscripted by both sides to serve as porters during the war and probably at least 100,000 of them died from hunger, exhaustion and illness, almost no mention of them appears in the history books. Kentridge redresses this omission with a multimedia tribute that combines music, dance and art to powerful effect. The music by Phillip Miller and Thuthuka Sibisi which incorporates African idiom into the score, is played by The Knights and gloriously sung by a talented ensemble. Gregory Maqoma’s choreography is strong, especially a heartbreaking duet for two men. The varied projections by Catherine Meyburgh are an essential part of the production. The art by Kentridge includes an array of metal sculptures and stylized objects carried by the porters that look remarkable when seen in shadow play. Some of his drawings are periodically projected on newsprint. The costumes by Greta Goiris, some fanciful, others realistic, are evocative. Set designer Sabine Theunissen, with a stage that runs the entire length of the Armory’s gigantic drill hall to fill, breaks up the space with a few whimsical towers. The piece uses repeated processionals with cumulative effect. The large cast is excellent without exception. The stage is so wide that it is almost impossible to take in everything that is going on at any given moment. I doubt that anyone would understand the events depicted without reading about them in the program. In London it ran 70 minutes; now it’s 90 minutes. 70 would be better. Nevertheless, it’s a truly unique experience that should not be missed by the adventurous. It runs through December 15.

No comments:

Post a Comment