The Knocking Within

ANIKAI Dance Theater
Texts from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, MacBeth, Titus Andronicus and Othello
Selected and compiled by Wendy Jehlen
Direction, concept: Wendy Jehlen
Choreographer: Wendy Jehlen with Pradhuman Nayak

ANIKAI Dance Theater premieres “The Knocking Within,” a new text-based work looking at insanity and a dysfunctional relationship through texts from three of Shakespeare’s tragedies – Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Titus Andronicus.
The scenes will not play out in a linear manner, but rather will be woven into each other, so that the effect is of the disorientation of unmitigated mental illness and a relationship out of control, or is it the nightmares of two lovers?

Show Times:

• Tues 1/17 @ 6:00pm
• Fri 1/20 @ 8:30pm
• Sun 1/22 @ 3:00pm

Answers by Wendy Jehlen
Artistic Director
ANIKAI Dance

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
This is an international festival. What part of the world are you coming from … and will your show tantalize the NYC audience with a taste of your nation’s culture?
Wendy Jehlen:
We are from India and the US, by birth. However, this work, and all ANIKAI works, draws on influences and deep study of traditions from throughout the world. The subjects are also universal – dreaming, the space between waking and sleeping, relationship, love, fear. I believe that our work speaks to that culture of people who do not identify themselves with any one place, but rather with a global community.

Dianna Martin’s Question
Who is the greatest inspiration to you artistically?
Wendy Jehlen: It would be impossible to name just one person. We have both had so many influences and mentors. Much of this piece, believe it or not, was inspired by a few episodes of Radio Lab on NPR.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
What emerged as the greatest challenge during the development of this production?
Wendy Jehlen:Narrowing it down. The texts are so rich, as are the ideas we’ve been wrapping around them. It took us a while to settle into a structure, after which it flowed. I’m sure that we will make changes after this run, which is the premiere. After that we’ll be taking it to Boston, around India, and after that, who knows? The creative process is never over.

Antonio Minino’s Question
You’re in Times Square surrounded by the best Broadway houses and highest selling entertainment in the world. What resources are you utilizing to spread the word about your show and get butts in seats?
Wendy Jehlen: We’ve been using the Internet a lot, emails, Facebook, websites. It was listed in the Times under dance. I’m hoping that there will be curiosity about the breadth of influences and sources for the work, as was expressed in the Times listing. Also, this is a very intimate piece, and performing it for an intimate audience is perfect.
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I was just having a conversation with a fellow actor who is also the Literary Manager for one of my favorite theatre companies, and we were discussing how incredibly difficult it is to stage a successful production of Titus Andronicus. Considered by most to be Shakespeare’s most bloody and violent play; one based on the many faces of revenge while still maintaining the despair of an almost Lear-like character whose mistakes compound upon one another to bring about the demise of his family and himself, ultimately. Despite the gore, the mutilation, the madness – American Globe Theatre’s production of Titus is remarkable in its simplicity and ability to tell one of my favorite tales in a manner that is palatable and WORKS.

Overkill is a word that is so often synonymous with attempts at mounting this production. From the amount of blood, the losing of limbs, necessary set changes and even a baby; not only is it technically difficult, but there is often a thin line between being able to do it well dramatically, and not having it turn into a circus freak show. This production exceeds expectations, and anyone (including Artistic Directors and actors) who has reservations about a viable production of  this play should come and take notes. Not only has director John Basil been able to tell the tale in the most serious of voices and provide the audience with as much of the full effect of said issues without going over the top; he has also directed the actors to maximize the use of the language of the Bard while engaging in difficult physicality that is not trite or expected.  I really was blown away.

I am familiar with the work of a handful of the actors, and expected a good show on their part; but kudos to the choices that were made to find the humor as well as the pain – and again, not at the expense of artistic integrity. Some standouts for me were the sexy and sultry Tamora (Elizabeth Keefe) whose murderous intent is quite believable;  a stoic Lucius (Jon Hoche) whose emotional pain is a brilliant contrast to the comedic roles I’ve seen him in (most recently Fight Fest);  Nick Vorderman’s comedic timing of the whining and annoying Saturninus (some of the delightful moments of the play); Aaron (Lamont Stephens) as the diabolical Moor whose only weak spot is the love of his son – whose use of the language was fantastic. Another wonderful pairing was Demetrius (Gabe Bettio) and Chiron (Adrian Saunders), both of whom showed different colors to their depravity; while Bettio’s full choices in his work kept him the more reserved until completely unleashed, Chiron was obscenely gleeful. They complemented each other well and made what could have been a distasteful rape scene into a well-choreographed horrific event.

Erica Knight’s Lavinia was so tragic, and I felt the actress carried the role quite well. I did, however, have moments where I was wondering if she was making specific choices of being in shock to the point that she was often devoid of the emotion that one might think a person who had lost her husband, was raped, and mutilated would have. It didn’t distract me to the point of not enjoying most of her performance, though. I actually look to the director with questions about those choices. Richard Fey’s portrayal of Titus Andronicus was, for the most part quite moving; however, I think I may have come on a night when it just wasn’t cooking for him as well as it could have been. The man’s talent is not to be questioned, nor his ability and mastery at Shakespeare’s work; however, I honestly felt it took him a good third of the play to really get cooking and for me to believe the snap he has as he sinks lower and lower into madness. Often I felt that he was pushing for emotion instead of allowing it to happen; that moments that might have happened on another night were being chased after. That said, I truly, truly enjoyed the show very much.

Hats off to Vincent A. Masterpaul’s set design; combining a spartan rotating stage, video projections (although they were sometimes a bit distracting), and stairs/cubbyholes, he created a world where all of this was possible – and where many other shows have tried and failed.

I look forward to seeing more productions by Basil’s American Globe, “Times Square’s longest-running Off-Off Broadway theatre.”

Richard Fay, Jon Hoche and Rainard Rachele

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