Thrilling Adaptation
Russell not only creates opportunities for touch, but also creatively utilizes the other senses in her production.
One exciting moment in particular was the game that the children played on the long car ride to Michigan. One of the children would describe the qualities of a color, and the others had to guess what that could be. However, rather than naming what one might expect, like objects that could be found in that color, Russell and the team were far more specific. The children described how a color might sound, taste, or feel. Red might feel like a skinned knee for example, and orange can taste citrusy like a tangerine.
As the actors revealed each detail, Adventure Guides came around with those elements for the audience to experience, such as bubbles to feel for blue, or a cinnamon flavored candy for red. It was easy for this writer to feel the excitement emanate from the actors as they discovered each new way to describe the qualities for a color, and in turn, the young people fed off this energy. The Adventure Guides are every bit as generous, looking for consent and prepping each audience member for what they are about to experience through the given sense. The experience is certainly not like a traditional trip to the theater, and Russell clearly does what she can to ease her audience into the event as smoothly as possible.
Lauren Katz is a freelance director and dramaturge, and new to the Chicago Theatre Scene. She recently moved from Washington DC, where she worked with Mosaic Theater Company of DC in Company Management, as well as directed around town with various theaters.