What do a bathtub, a fire hydrant, and a coop’s worth of chickens have in common? Maybe nothing, and maybe something, but they’re certainly all present in bobrauschenbergamerica. I had no idea what to expect going in, but when I entered the theater and saw an overturned refrigerator, I knew this would be unlike anything I’d ever seen. It was, thankfully, and bobrauschenbergamerica (directed by Curran Russell and presented by RareWorks Theatre Company) captured the spirit of its namesake painter and the unrestrained attitude of our patchwork country.​

 

The actors encapsulated the freedom of expression that the play is about. This play by Charles L. Mee was first produced by Anne Bogart’s SITI Company, known for their dual use of the Suzuki method and Viewpoints to train their actors. For added authenticity, RareWorks’ production used the same methods (led by Andrea Tzvetkov, who has trained extensively with the SITI Company and assistant directed this production). I had the opportunity to sit in on part of the training for one of the rehearsals for bobrausch, and upon seeing the final product I was struck by how much I could see the effects of the training in the way the actors moved and expressed themselves; they were grounded in their own space, yet tuned in to what the other actors were doing at all times. This carried through from the scenes of quiet monologue to the highly energetic dances that burst into existence and dissolved into other strange and wonderful moments.
 

The freedom didn’t stop at the acting level­­every aspect of the production conveyed the same exuberance as the actors. The set, composed of (maybe) random objects and sprinkled with fake chickens of all shapes and sizes, is a picture of artistic insanity. The costumes, though fairly “normal,” worked in the context of the play, and emphasized the impact of a character entering in swim trunks of a chicken suit. The lighting, too, gave the play the color and texture it called for. Under Curran Russell’s direction, everything came together in a beautiful symphony during which there was never a dull moment.
 

All the elements of the show worked in tandem to convey its essence, making it a very successful and thought­provoking production. I would find it hard to believe if anyone couldn’t find something (if not a lot) to like about it, because it is certainly one of the best student theatre productions I’ve seen at Emerson. To put it another way, “it felt good to me.”
 

bobrauschenbergamerica ran on December 12th, 2012 in the Semel Theater.