NEW YORK—Everyone wants to be remembered in some form or another and this theme is at the center of the Montreal troupe 7 Fingers' acrobatic, enjoyable, and sometimes heart-stopping Traces.
At an undisclosed location, five people (Héloïse Bourgeois, Francisco Cruz, Raphael Cruz, Brad Henderson and Will Underwood) await impending destruction. In the time remaining, they attempt to leave a trace of themselves behind.
Yet memory is fleeting as the five frantically try to reveal as much of themselves as they can via a microphone, which flies about the stage from one person to the next. Fortunately, deeds mean more than words here, and what holds one's attention is the group's amazing athletic feats, which include summersaults, leaping through metal rings, climbing up large poles placed in the stage, and headfirst slides down them.
The company works together in perfect unison, whether they're passing around a basketball or throwing chairs in the air. There's also a great deal of trust between the performers, as evident in several feats which rely on one's partner(s) to be there when the situation calls for it; otherwise, disaster would occur.
In addition to the ever-increasing demonstrations of agility, there's also a nice amount of tongue-in-cheek humor present—including a bit of one-upmanship where each person tries to play a piece on the piano, a faux-ballet sequence, and a wonderful section where the cast cavorts on skateboards in a style reminiscent of Fred Astaire. All this is brought together wonderfully via direction and choreography by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider.
The evening culminates with a spoof on reality shows, where contestants vie to see who will finally be remembered and who will be voted off via "the teeter-totter of obscurity."
While none of the cast members may be remembered with much clarity, the show itself looks like it can stand the test of time—this being a case where the whole is greater than the individual parts. With musical styles ranging from classical to hip-hop, some very interesting props, and an energetic (and very limber) company, Traces is a boatload of fun. (Recommended for ages six to adult.)
Traces
Presented by 7 Fingers
New Victory Theater
209 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 646-223-3010 or www.NewVictory.org
Running time: Approximately 80 Minutes
Closes: March 2, 2008
Judd Hollander is the New York Correspondent for the London publication, The Stage.
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