Last week, a fellow collaborator of mine gifted my hubs and I tickets to see HOME by Geoff Sobelle at ArtsEmerson’s Paramount Center’s Robert J. Orchard Stage.
The production begins with a single ghost light on a mostly bare stage, upon which Sobelle and a group of actors acsend upon to build a home. The home is highly functional and transforms with each of its inhabitants. Throughout the journey of the show, the ensemble inhabits the space, even members of the audience are invited on stage to become a part of the home.
The piece does not contain very much spoken text rather it contains a variety of vignette style scenarios made up of highly specific choreographed movement. It’s absolutely beautiful how universal the piece was and the theatrical choices allowed for audiences to fill in the blanks with their own words and experiences.
The magic and spectacle of the piece is simply awe inspiring.
Another element that made this production so successful was how it tour down the fourth wall to interact with the audience. At one point a platter of snack foods were passed around the rows as if we too were party guests inside a house party. String lights were hung during the show from the back of the theatre, leading up to the house creating this feeling of us, the audience, belong, being a part of the story.
At one point a woman was invited upstairs to share memories of her childhood home. She was asked to recreate the picture of this home for us all. It wasn’t until the end of the show that I realized she wasn’t an actor but rather an audience member just like me.
The piece practiced human connection in such a raw and beautiful way. It was entertaining and thought provoking all at once. The production will head to BAM’s Next Wave Festival in December.
Check out Boston Globe’s review of the show below:
Drama Lit Blog 2.0: BU School of Theatre 