Review by anonymous
June 07, 2013My overall impression
BEWARE SPOILERS. Alright, let’s be honest.. These freaky Brazilians are going to be packing in houses on word of mouth alone. We’re not just talking about nude theatre: opening images shows everyone on stage masturbating, orifices open to the audience and fingers are inserted, faces pushed into crotches, feces consumed, and a lot of anal rape. You may be thinking, “of course there’s anal rape, it’s the Marquis de Sade” and as a friend of mine told me after the show, the Marquis de Sade’s sexuality was more about the poor using sex as a warfare against the upper class. From watching it however I wasn’t sure whether or not the company share the same views as the Marquis. Is this the story about a girl who gets seduced by the libertarians a tragedy or a victory for perverts everywhere? Perhaps it’s both, which is not going to give the audience much conclusive fulfillment but might make them think.
As I seen mentioned, the performances are brave – some of the bravest I’ve ever seen.. I can’t imagine spreading my cheeks for people on Santa Monica Blvd. but then, there are plenty to do. What were looking at is in away a gift from a culture very different from ours, with less inhibitions and an overall braver culture when it comes to sexuality. The actors go there without hesitation and they do so with a level of artistic pretense that seems to justify everything.
Note I say “seems” . Basically there’s a lot more posturing and posing than what many might expect from American actors. I perhaps this came from the direction, but it would’ve been nice to see a wider range of choices among them to really give their characters depth and give the show more dimensions as opposed to types. I realize this may not have been the goal of the director, which is fine, it just may be that the language barrier what have proved too difficul anwayt to deliver the nuances of character and concept. With much lost in the language and the limited characterizations, there was a moment or two where I thought that I was watching the acting equivalent of Brazilian porn. (keep in mind this is very difficult material and one actress, Deborah Graca stood out as admirably bringing a sense of immediacy and emotional can’t among the otherwise stylized-yet-two-dimensional proceedings.)
The direction had a few pretty gorgeous moments. Images that I won’t soon forget, and not because the people were naked either. The last image I found particularly haunting and beautiful – the “demon” of unleashed sexuality flapping his shadowey wings as it rises to take over the conservative world.
Other times I found myself shaking my head laughing out loud at the ridiculous audacity of the whole thing. Basically, it is a mixed bag, but it’s definitely worth experiencing. You’re not likely to get the chance to see something this lurid on Santa Monica Boulevard anytime before 2 AM.. Even if it’s only perverse curiosity for theatrical peak show, for $14, you will get more then your money’s worth.
