Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a performance of our very own Extra Criticum author Elyse Singer's new show, Frequency Hopping. This show, mounted at the very cool 3-legged Dog space downtown, may mark the first use of a "robotic orchestra" in the history of live theatre.
You heard me. In a totally ballsy move, Singer has suspended most of the musical instruments from the ceiling on either side of her playing space but in full view of the audience. During the show, music cues are triggered by computer to the various instruments, including what looked to be about eight pianos on loan courtesy of Yamaha.
In addition to this spectacle, the projections (all digital and all over the place) bathe the actors in various settings, dreams, moods and thoughts. It's a wild ride. Elaine McCarthy is credited as multimedia designer and she's got some neat surprises in store.
Here's just one still from the production, which by virtue of it being a still, doesn't entirely capture the quality of actors moving amidst moving images.
(Photo credit: Dixie Sheridan © 2008)
For more info on the show, visit: www.frequencyhopping.net
