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'Foreign Bodies:
Tales From The Outside'

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lcone and Oilice
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n a brave new world, there
would be dozens of Walk and
Squawk Performance Projects,
\- 2 each with its own take on the
physical content of theater. In
our fairly sober community, we
call it "fringe theater"
and are grateful that
someone is looking be-
yond sex farce or Les

Miz.

The godchild of Eri-
ka Block and Hilary
Ramsden, Walk and
Squawk's theater is
rooted in physical
comedy, performance
art and playfulness of
intellect. In their
newest work, Foreign

Bodies: Tales from the
Outside, playing at

morous or touching effect. These English middle-class accent and
instances include Hilary Rams- round "ohmygod" eyes; Johar, an
East Indian with flowing
den contemplating aloud
hair and beard; and Jere-
which line at Immigra-
my Steward, suitcase
THEATER
tion will be less daunt-
tapper extraordinaire,
ing; or Navtej Johar
who looks like Robert
Redford as if he were a
scarecrow.
At this point in its
young life — it was cre-
ated in 1995 — the
Walk and Squawk Per-
formance Project seems
to be feeling its way to
a plateau. Now, as in
Foreign Bodies, the
work is six parts whim-
sy, three parts memory
recollected and drama-
tized, and one part
sheer visual poetry.
If you want a small
but great moment of
poetry, then it's Brooks
partnering Steward in
her wheelchair: As they
waltz, he is stretched
out like a ballerina
while Brooks, in her
chair, is the ballerino.
That scene and the un-
folding of the purple
silk banner to spoken
memories are worth
the price of admission.
I hope their future
work takes them closer
to that melange of the
emotional and the vi-
sual. Right now, Walk
and Squawk's concept
is a work in progress —
and progressive is the
tone.

1515 Broadway in De-
troit, outcasts from an-
other country are
enfranchised by the
artful cast. (A timely
piece, as the Senate
has just reaffirmed
that gay people have
no right to job protec-
tion or marriage.)
Each of the four-
person troupe comes
on stage with suitcas-
es; more are lined up
at center stage. A voy-
age? Yes. The cases
become props, devices:
they are sat upon, un-
packed, hurled; they
are stumbling blocks
and mini parapets.
And, in one grandly
conceived moment,
the largest pair of tap
shoes one can imag-
ine, as a cast member
inserts his feet
through the handles
and shuffles off to Buf-
falo or points un-
known. Bring in da
Cases, bring in da
Squawk ...
The one-hour-or-so
show matches physi-
cal movement, mostly
comedy, with words —
often monologues. And
the actors — a more British performer, director and teacher Hilary Ramsden is a co-
organic word would be founder of the Walk & Squawk Performance Project.
members — give us
glimpses into the outsiders' talking about trying to find a
yahrtzeit candle in a Pakistani
world.
In a monologue about an out- neighborhood; or tiny Brenda
of-body experience, "It's the only Brooks in her electric wheelchair
kind I've ever had," Jeremy who shows us how successful she
Steward says as he looks into the is as a performer who is bound,
empty mirror frame, another but not impeded, by a wheel-
ubiquitous prop, and describes chair.
Clearly, the sheer extra-ordi-
himself as a sexual object.
nariness
of the members is part
The theme, like each prop, is
handed on — sometimes to hu- of the theme: Ramsden with her

c) 1
Q k ) - 1/2

— Michael H.
Margolin

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BOTH DISHES ACCOMPANIED WITH SOUP OR SALAD,
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REG. HOURS: MON.-THURS. 11-10, FRI. 11-11, SAT. 5-11, SUN. 4-9

ft Foreign Bodies:

Tales from the Out-
side runs through

this weekend, Sept.
20-22, at 1515
Broadway in De
troit. Tickets are $15
at the door. Call
(313) 668-0407 or
(313) 965-1515.

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