If you've never had the chance to witness "wordless" theater, here's your opportunity to cross it off your to-do list. The production of Odchodzi (Passing Away) playing at the La Mama ETC offers the chance to experience theater as it is rarely seen. Actors are stripped of their words and the audience of the light to clearly see the actions on stage. Instead, the audience is presented with a challenge to interpret a story based on limited movements and endless meanings. Odchodzi doesn't allow for the audience to sit and be entertained, in fact, the contrary is true. While actors and overall production effect are at an all time minimum, the audience enters a less experienced theatrical mindset of complete control and freedom of interpretation.
Odchodzi is created and directed by renowned visual theater artist Leszek Madzik as an adaptation of Tadeusz Rozewicz's award winning book of prose and verse about family passing on from this life into another realm. In the performance, Madzik takes the audience through the life of an ordinary woman in subtle, circular movements while backed with an original score of live scat singing by Polish jazz musician Urszula Dudziak. The atmosphere that Madzik creates is ominous and a touch uncomfortable. It takes several minutes for the audience's eyes to adjust to the darkness of the theater while focusing on the dimly lit actors and objects on stage. Madzik cleverly crafts a juxtaposition of feelings as the performance moves ahead. Odchodzi explores the emotions leading up to imminent death, a topic that is often times avoided due to the loneliness and lack of knowledge about it. However, the theatrical elements of the production force the audience to pay such close attention to the events on stage that the whole audience finds themselves face to face with a subject they never intended to embrace. This contradictory element that Madzik creates is one that deserves praise as he ingeniously and subtlety makes the audience play a hand that they would normally prefer to fold.
The lack of movement and the use of space can be interpreted as the way that death transcends the familiar dimensions individuals are accustomed to here in this life. Suddenly, the audience realizes that words and flashy visuals are not necessary to express a thought or make an impact. Actors slowly appear in the forefront or the background of the performance area allowing the audience to comprehend more than just depth, but also the timeline of life. Space is used in vast amounts of darkness with only a small amount of light taking its spot. This technique is like a microcosm of the universe. One life only represents a part of the larger picture, just as one planet only represents part of a solar system. Odchodzi places actors in these spaces to humbly convey solitude in vastness and the amount of learning that still needs to be experienced.
Odchodzi is definitely not typical, "run of the mill" theater, but is instead crafted on the lack of several key performance elements such as dialogue, lighting and movement. Odchodzi causes the audience to think and to consider things at more then just face value. While the show's conclusion is rather abrupt, the absence of these elements allows the audience to focus on what Madzik intended to achieve. He causes the audience to think, question and consider life all while temporarily leaving the comforts of the world they know to ponder one that is completely foreign. Mission accomplished.
Odchodzi runs through March 5 at the La MaMa ETC at 74A East Fourth Street. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 PM with a 2:30 PM matinee on Sunday. For tickets, please call 212-475-7710.
