Went to see Red Cans at the Off Center on Saturday. We got there a little early and were greeted by this weird homeless guy with a really cute dog. Well actually, it was Josh (the homeless guy, not the dog). But, I’m unable to play along with people when they’re in character (I have no clue why this is), so we had a somewhat nonsensical conversation in which Josh talked to me as though he was a character, and I talked to him as though he were Josh. Thankfully, Ramona the dog didn’t mind that I was a bit schizoid.

Once inside the fence we ran into our old pal Mo. We had a nice conversation and subjected her to pictures of Stella. I then went and filled out a suvery and Julie had a glass of water. That pretty much sums up all the things to do outside the theatre.

Lowell Bartholemee greeted us at the door with a cigar and baseball cap. He mentioned something about close toed shoes and keeping our posessions close. Yeah, whatever.

So we walk in, and it’s very dark. There’s almost no set. What follows can only be described as Terry Gilliam directing a nature movie about creatures evolved from a Will Wright game. It was fascinating. I don’t want to give to much away, but we’re first introduced to their language, and their movement. Then we see their maturation process, and the way their social heirarchies work. Amazing stuff. I really couldn’t believe the depth of thought that had gone into creating a complete world for these little characters. I will say that at one point the zoo gets turned inside out a bit, and I have never seen an audience so afraid. I mean I was able to rationally say that these were people in red cloth bags, but it was so effective that on another level my brain was having the real reactions it would have if encountering some strange wild creature. The audience at the Off Center who are normally so careful to not touch each other in those oh-so-close-together seats, were literaly cowering with their feet in each others laps. I have never seen this sort of audience reaction.

The only downside was that the show didn’t really have a strong ending. But at the same time, it wasn’t really a standard “show” so I’m not sure how they could have done so. It’s a bit like watching a cage of monkeys and then critizing them for not having proper plot structure. You’ll notice I’m not mentioning the actors much. Which is a bit of a shame because the physicality of the show alone demands a standing ovation. But they are so convincing as the cans, that the actors really disappear. It’s an amazing feat and hopefully there will be awards in their future for comitting so strongly and convincingly to a vision.

All in all, this is another wholey original piece from the Rubber Rep. I can guarantee you’ve never seen anything else like it, and isn’t that part of why we love theater?

Oh, and my survey won the free tickets. I think because I was the only one who filled out a survey. You need to go see it. If for no other reason than you’re going to have to listen to me talking about it for a long time, so you need to see what it is you hate so much.

WHEN: August 3 - 19, 2006 | Thurs - Sat at 8 PM

WHERE: The Off Center - 2211-A Hidalgo St., Austin, TX 78702

TICKETS: Fridays & Saturdays: Sliding Scale $10-$25 | Thursdays are Pay-What-You-Can
Buy tickets online or call 512-476-RUDE (7833)

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Comments

Josh

2006-08-08T19:20:45.000Z

hey tim,

thanks so much for writing about your experience with the show. so interesting and helpful to hear what people make of things, especially in a forum that’s less formal than a “review” and more formal than post-show chatter.