Playing with worlds

Last night I went to BAM to see A Play Without Words, a piece that inverts the traditional term "dance theater;" for this was theater danced. I was particularly struck by its triple cast leads, offering multiple interpretations or complete re-interpretations of a each scene. It had the look of a Kylie Minogue video as visualized by Michel Gondry.

I went to the play alone. Throughout, a seat remained empty beside me. Earlier I had gone to the New York Botannical Gardens, up in the Bronx. I called Simone to see if she was interested and she said to give her an hour. She left at 12.30, I left at one. When the 4 train emerged from the earth she called to ask me where I was. I looked at the map and told her the name of the next stop. She said she was on the same train in the second car. I told her I was in the third. I looked up through the doors and saw David walking towards the first car. I told her to tell him to turn around.

At the next station I changed cars. I walked up to David and asked him if the train went to the Gardens and sat down next to him. No one paid much attention.

At the Gardens, Simone was upset about the policy against photography in the main gallery of the orchid show. Not that it deterred anyone. I walked the paths of the observatory with David, who told me about various orchids and told me about the orchid that could be pollinated by only one species of moth in the world. Simone had to point it out.

The flowers were beautiful, the gardens pleasant. We tried to see the rock garden but it was closed. It was closed the last time I visited the gardens.

I walked back to the train; they took the bus. They just missed a train that passed as I was entering the station. We waited. It took some time.

The ride to Brooklyn was uneventful. I read Gilead on the train. I finished the book this morning. It's very well written; the voice is incredibly well-controlled. At BAM I ran into Renée. She was volunteering for the BAM cinemaclub. She asked me what film I was seeing. I told her I was seeing the play. A woman walked up to us and asked us where the play was. I told her the name of the theater; Renée gave her directions. She thanked us and walked back out into the street.

I finished chatting with Renée and then went to a nearby deli for a sandwich. After eating I went early to the theater to wait in the cafe. As I walked past the tables a woman stopped me. She smiled and said, "I found it. Thanks!" Posted by eku at March 20, 2005 12:58 PM