ArtsEmerson presents Duel Reality, by 7 Fingers. At the Cutler Majestic Theater, Tremont Street, Boston, through February 18th.
By Linda Chin
7 Fingers, the Montreal-based, globally-beloved troupe of theater artist-acrobats, is back in Boston with the US premiere of Duel Reality – their 7th show at ArtsEmerson. A love story that echoes Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, Duel Reality includes music, song, dance, fight choreography, a string of spectacular stunts and circus acts, and uplifting and heartbreaking moments. During this fast-paced one-hour production (with no intermission), I was both immersed in the storytelling and in awe of the storytellers’ physical process.
At the top of the show, audience members were asked to put on the latex wristbands placed on their seats that were red or blue in color. Turns out that on the right of the center line (house right), the bands were red, and on the left of the center line (house left, where we were sitting), the bands were blue. Audience members were encouraged to cheer on the gladiators whose outfits matched their wristbands (and boo the others).
Perhaps I was overthinking, but if the color significance was related to US political party lines, I was content being on the blue team. In the staged ‘street fight’ in the opening scene, I played along. But in a juggling battle in the following scene – a performer in red tossing pins vs. one in blue tossing balls, I gravitated towards the woman in red. Her pins created exquisite swirling patterns as they grazed her elbows, hips, and thighs. And the performer playing Juliet/Maria wore red. In my book, artistic excellence trumps politics. And love is colorblind. All the performers earned my attention and applause.
With its generous seating capacity (400-seat orchestra), and stage proportions (38’ wide, 31’ high proscenium opening), the Cutler Majestic Theater offers a perfect space and unobstructed views of Duel Reality’s soaring, airborne acrobats. I was transfixed with the artistry throughout, though at one point, I confess that I shifted my gaze from the performers on stage to their larger-than-life shadows cast on the theater’s ornate, highly detailed walls.
Besides juggling, handstands, human sculptures, and trapeze work, there were lovely turns with props, including the Chinese yo-yo. With multiple hula hoops set spinning simultaneously by a solo artist, then held with her outstretched arms and other acrobats taking running leaps through the hoops, the stage literally became a six-ring circus. The audience members seated onstage in chairs upstage of the action had enviable, ringside views.
The 7 Fingers collective not only redefines the Circus, it also redefines the meaning of creative collaborations. The spellbinding, superhuman human storytellers are a must-see spectacle. For information and tickets, go to: https://artsemerson.org/.
