New York Theater Review: The Orphans
Posted December 7, 2010 at 3:56 pm
The Orphans at La MaMa
by Jody Christopherson, New York Theater Review
The Orphans, presented by La MaMa E.T.C., a new work by Karina Casiano, performed and directed by Karina Casiano and Daniel Irizarry is a physical futuristic exploration of the terrorism of disconnection from natural impulses. Casiano and Irizarry create a world of physical anxiety where people are catalogued and identified by DNA samples. Both play terrorists bombing the pharmaceutical companies that sedate their mounting anxieties over the increasingly disconnected modern world where carnal pleasure, music, and cigarettes are forbidden.
Deliciously betrayed by their natural impulses bodies rebel by doing the forbidden. . . making contact.
At the beginning of the performance, Casiano, contained or holed up in steel and plexiglass phone booth (minus the phone) plays a female liaison to terrorists who encounters a pill addicted new recruit (Irizarry). In the fashion of robots and junkies both twitch, convulse but fail to control their physical impulses. She, literally climbing the walls of her incasement. Eventually both risk their safety and identities to connect, a man who has not yet given up on life seducing a woman into exploring what it means to live in a dying world.
The story is told through death defying contact improvisation with walls, set pieces, and finally each other.
Both performers stunning and minutely specific physical control is consistent and equally impressive throughout the performance.
Rehearsals and script were developed through filmed physical improvisation and later edited together.