Let me start by saying that if you have never been to a show by
Collide Theatrical Dance Company, you are missing out on some of life's joys. I have seen...well, this was show number four...and I have loved every one. Playing at
Luminary Arts Center till Nov 3rd,
Bonnie and Clyde is their newest show. It was wonderful.
During the post-show talkback, I found out a bit more about the process of putting these shows together. Writer/Director/Choreographer Regina Peluso does a lot of research into the story (in this case real life characters and situations) and puts together a script. From there she decides what part of the story is going to be told in dance, and what (if any) will be told via pre-recorded or spoken narration. Then the choreography begins, with some being done by company members as well as Peluso. This work has pre-recorded narration and the story is told from the view point of Bonnie Parker. The show is a study of celebrity, told through her eyes, and with her desire to become a celebrity. It is also a study of why we, the audience and society as a whole, hold these people up, put them on pedestals, and when do we turn on them and why.
From the start of the work, there are three large set pieces on stage. The two on either side are movable and rotate, which allow them to become various locations, homes, jails, etc. The center set piece stays and is the hideout, court room, and a few other places. At times, there is an image of the actual location where the real Bonnie and Clyde were projected onto the back wall of the space. This is also where various newspaper clippings are projected with headlines both real and imagined. We start with Bonnie talking about wanting to be someone, get to Hollywood, become known. We watch as she meets Clyde at a party, and how she falls for him, into his life of crime...and how she gets jealous that her name is never mentioned in the papers. Eventually she becomes tired of being an unnamed member of the Barrow gang (which consists of Clyde, his brother Buck and his wife Blanche, and Bonnie). She decides to get caught just to get some recognition. If you know anything about Bonnie and Clyde, you know how this all ends. And yet, it was and is a wonderful journey to take with this group of dancers.
Samantha Watson as Bonnie, and Jarod Boltjes as Clyde Barrow are so good. They way they move together, and individually in their solo numbers, is a joy to watch. Megan Carver as Blanche, and Patrick Jeffrey as Buck are also fun to watch. They have such amazing lifts together, and the way Patrick moved Megan around was incredible. The other named character is Frank Hammer - the law man who tracks and eventually gets the Barrow gang. Played by Henry Steele Dillon, Hammer was a delight to watch. The
ensemble (Bella West, Johanna Engebretson, Peter Hoffman, Bailey Renee Miller, Emily Rose Phelan, and Mikayla Scherping) were fantastic as they always are. The leads sometimes do have moments of stillness, but the ensemble seemed to always be there, moving, dancing, keeping the stage interesting and continuing to provide environment as well as telling the story. Honestly this group is so good together.
Collide mainly uses the music and the lyrics to the music to tell the story - or at least to get you into the same headspace and give you an idea of what the characters on stage or dealing with. They always have such a great selection of songs, and such a variety - from Beyonce, Billie Eilish, to Mumford & Songs, Orville Peck, and Jamie Cullum. The choreo is original, and clearly tells the story, along with showing the internal monologues of some of the characters during solos. I also truly enjoyed that in this production, they gave nod to celebrity by using some choreo from the tiktok dance video to Texas Hold 'Em. Finally the Luminary is their space this season and it is really a perfect space for them. It provides a lot of stage space, and amazing sightlines for the audience. The sound was perfect, and the visuals as well. A fantastic production!
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