- OTHER MEDIA
|
- A malfunctioning windup toy of a show, meant for adults but good
for kids
By Chloe Veltman
-
- Dan Carbone's solo play is a malfunctioning little windup toy of a
show. As assorted fluffy bunnies, stuffed Humpty Dumptys, and plastic astronaut
monkeys fly around the minuscule Exit Cafe stage, Carbone half-sings, half-talks
(or Sprechgesangs) his way through warped tales and ditties that aren't
quite what you'd expect to hear on Sesame Street. A cross between Dr. Seuss
and Freddy Krueger -- with a touch of Lewis Carroll thrown in for good
measure -- Carbone is a big, bald man-child exorcising inner demons with
a goofy grin and an old-fashioned trunk. The performance's eccentricities
wear a bit thin after 30 minutes; even so, the beautifully orchestrated
lighting, sound, and movement cues create an engrossing aura that makes
you feel like you're in the middle of a waking dream. The production is
meant for an adult audience, but I think There Be Monsters would appeal
to kids -- and to those of us who spent our formative years ripping the
heads off Barbie dolls or constructing My Little Pony abattoirs.
|
|