8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 27, 1993 'Dances' full of Fall surprises By ALEX BELLER If you weren't watching closely, you might have missed the beginning of Mauren Janson's "Raw Work #1," the opening piece in Performance Network's annual "S'ptember Dances" concert. Although it might seem difficult to miss an opening number while seated in the theater, it's really September Dances quite easy when the choreographer Performance Network failed to give you the universal clues September 24, 1993 of commencement. There were no dimmed house- lights, no stagelights, no music, no costume and no make-up. There was Janson, an audience and the theater lit by pre-performance floodlights. Her actual choreography (from which nothing could distract you) was a series of jagged-edged and vibrant phrases. Her direct gaze was unflinching and confrontational. She put the audience in the position of the performer: lights up, eyes fixed on you. Her movement was a clever combination of long sharp angles and quirky animal-like gestures. It was a cross between a composition class showing and aperformer's revolt. As apunch line, the houselights faded and a fading spotlight caught her face, laughing. Unfortunately, the texture of Janson's work did not thread through the entire concert. She was followed by Barbara Djules Boothe's neurotic and cliche "Refuge," danced by University dance major Kevin Clayborn. With no motivating force behind the drama, it was an unwaveringly monotonous study of angst. The movement was predictable, metered and square. The music, by Philip Glass, was moody and repetitive and the dancer, the only point of interest, looked stilted by the small space and the uneven flow of the choreography. The mood flipped again with Amanda Stanger's "Middle Ground," performed by Stanger and University graduate student Scott A. Read. The piece, set to uplifting Irish music by the Chieftains, was unabashedly charming. Filled with generous, excited dancing, the duet incorporated many of the complexities of male/female relationships and handled power issues with a sense of whimsy and facetiousness. More impressive than any message, however, was their actualized happiness, not being professed or acted out. Stanger's stage persona is refreshingly open and honest. She dances with the joy of a child, engaging the audience in the pure pleasure of her movement. She brings back an antique concept that much of modern dance has all but abandoned: ecstasy in movement. Those who attended the Saturday night performance and missed Jessica Fogel's "Kaddish" were compensated by an "impromptu" performance by Charmie Gholson and Carmen Moyer. The improv-like sketch was a good palate-cleanser before Stanger's more dramatic solo, "Lisa." Set to the Cat Steven's song "Lisa," the piece was pulling without being sentimental. With a dedication that indicated the death of a young woman, the audience was set up for tragedy. Instead of gaping wounds or bloody confessional choreography, what they got was the subtle strength of Stanger dealing with loss. Movement ranged from introverted flinching vulnerabil- ity to defiant, angry confrontation. She was fluid and easy while weaving through the narrative a plethora of mixed emotions and explosive energy. The concert closed with Scott Read's "One View," a quartet that included himself; Stanger, Elisa LaBelle and Beverly Dosh-Robinson. It reminded one of the mixed metaphors of a Gregory Corso poem, including an intense ballroom scene, random Dali-esque images and a montage of flowers, baskets and chairs. It had the surreal feeling of late-night T.V. Kenneth Branagh's witty and comical style come through once more in a film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado about Nothing." 'Much Ado is far from Nothing By ALEXANDRA TWIN As with his adaptation of "Henry V," actor/filmmaker Kenneth Branagh's, "Much Ado About Noth- ing" presents a Shakespeare classic that dispels with the classic Shakespearereattion; namely extreme boredom and confusion. His film is Much Ado About Nothing Written and Directed by Kenneth Branagh; with Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington anything but boring, and is as clear and comprehensible as the costumes are vivid, the countryside lush and the performances luminescent. In short, he's recreated Shakespeare for the modern viewer, giving us a romantic comedy with the Bard in the bargain. Near Florence, Italy, as the day draws to a close, what has been a peaceful summer afternoon now turns into a state of pandemonium as Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon (Denzel Washington), and his victorious army return from war. With him is his aloof half-brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves), the cryptically amusing Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), and the love struck Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard). The object of his affections is young Hero (Kate Beckinsale), who is the cousin of the fiery-tongued Beatrice (Emma Thompson), and also the daughter of the town's proprietor, who invites the returning heroes in and with them all the romantic possi- bilities lurking in the air. What follows is an often rambunc- tious game of cat and mouse, Shakespeare's style, filled with the usual array of amusing diversions, misunderstandings, mishaps and sub- plots, including one involving the lowly Dogberry (Michael Keaton); a would-be troublemaker whose utterly nonsensical babble ends up being the solution to many miscommunications. Yet, in a cast with such fine actors, the presence of Michael Keaton is at best annoying and more often infuri- ating. His Dogberry resembles a slightly less demented 16th century Beetlejuice on speed. However, he's not the worst. That would be Keanu Reeves. Poor boy. He's never quite man- aged to live up to that "River's Edge," performance, where he played, shock- ingly enough, a stoner dude. Yet, he manages to provide the film with some of its most (unintentionally) funny scenes, particularly when he attempts to let us know that he's REALLY ANGRY! This one bad choice aside, the film as a whole consists of one of the finest, most diverse ensembles brought together in years. It's blessed by both a strong supporting cast, led by Beckinsale and Leonard, as the troubled lovers, and by the more prominent performances of Washing- ton, Thompson and Branagh, whose Benedick is as gleefully wicked as is Thompson's Beatrice. She's both sar- castic and endearing, obstinate and vulnerable, and a further testament to Thompson's obvious talent. Visually, the film is stunning. From the operatic, opening scene, to the boisterous celebration at the end, it flows almost like a dance. Yet Branagh may have spoiled us in creating a brand of Shakespeare so modern, vibrant, and enjoyable, that the thought of viewing another pre- tentious, overdone rendering of it seems almost unbearable. Hopefully, other directors will take Branagh's example to heart. Who knows, maybe the majority of people could even begin to think again of Shakespeare as relevant and exciting and the bulk of modern culture as unworthy and dull. It's a long shot, but at the least it might mean a whole slew of interesting, significant films. Now wouldn't that be a nice change of pace? MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is showing at The Michigan Theater and The State Theater. BETPRSIn Tn!The BESTiT PR ~iICE nTon heBS PIE I U R-. FREE Pencils (While Supplies Las..) =- Sm . z C Vnrnw RECORDS WE ARE A 1140 South University (Above Good-Time Chaley's) Ann Arbior, MI 4~8104 Pit: 663-580 Nows Mae.-hrs. 2 am.- 10pm. FrL-Sat. 9 am.-11 pm. Sun. am - 8 pm. 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