My overall impression
This show is worth seeing for its impressive physical feats and spectacle. Ashley Elizabeth Allen’s performance as Eloise is a stand out not only for her dizzying and beautiful silks number with her equally accomplished partner, but for the raw emotional vulnerability of her physical performance. With few lines she manages to tell a story with her entire body every moment she is on stage. Cloie Wyatt Taylor and Dana Benedict are two other standouts who offer cheeky and entertaining performances. Though visually stunning, at times the story gets lost in the spectacle, and I do believe that with as much attention to emotional honesty and storytelling as there was to physical technical skill this show could really pack and emotional punch as well. As it stands it is beautiful and gorgeously physically executed, if at times a bit shallow and macho. I would love to see this piece grow and develop! I am disappointed by the fact that the story at times rests on tropes of acrimony between women over men, and that there is a literal staging of the virgin/whore dichotomy which I was not convinced was intended as social commentary. I think that cheapens what is overall a very compelling exploration of taboo and our cultural attitudes of sexual shaming. Definitely a thought provoking show and worth seeing, discussing, and further exploring!
