Taking the Lead: Dynamic “Dancing Lessons” for the digital age

“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.” ~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

For its last two productions, the Players at The Barker Playhouse chose to go the audio route. The result were two highly entertaining listening experiences of The War of the Worlds and An Enemy of the People. For their latest show, they have upped not only their game considerably, but set a high bar for future digital productions in the area. I’ve admittedly had trouble sitting down and watching theater on my laptop over the past few months, but when I sat down yesterday to take in Mark St. Germain’s Dancing Lessons, I was immediately struck by its professional aesthetic. It’s also abundantly clear that a lot of thought was given to the theater-cinema balance that all theatrical undertakings are going to have to grapple with for the near future. In this case, I think it was an inspiring success.

Normally I would not include a curtain speech in a review, but I have to say it was unexpectedly heartening to see the show’s director Christin L. Goff and assistant director and videographer Mike R. Daniels welcoming us to the show. It’s the small traditions that not only seem lost, but forgotten when theaters begin to put together digital productions, and I was glad to see as much attention as possible given to injecting theatricality wherever possible.

This production begins with Ever, played by Tylar Jahumpa, arriving at his building, and making his way to the home of his neighbor, Senga, played by Gabriella Sanchez. Senga is a dancer, who’s been hurt in an accident, leaving her with a serious leg injury. Ever is a science professor, and he’s arrived at Senga’s door to ask that she tutor him in dance so that he won’t embarrass himself at an event. He’s willing to pay her well for the lessons, but Senga is both unsure she wants to help and also not sure if she’s able. In addition to that obstacle, Ever has Asperger’s Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, which makes social interaction and non-verbal communication difficult. He’s also hypersensitive to touch.

The individual circumstances of these two characters create a kind of Meisner exercise for the play, which at the surface seems only about Senga helping Ever learn how to dance, but quickly becomes something much deeper.

Dancing Lessons had its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company six years ago, and the play seems to be in the vein of McNally’s Frankie and Johnny, in terms of a (mostly) two-hander romance where the characters can’t seem to avoid winding up in each other’s arms despite their best efforts. That magical DNA aside, it feels like St. Germain settled on his characters having a romance before actually creating the characters, and so when things take a turn in that direction, it doesn’t always feel earned by the script. The playwright’s best-known success story, Freud’s Last Session, had the same stilted approach to dialogue, but that didn’t hinder a historical drama as much as it will a contemporary comedy. He also seems to write for the broadest market available, which is a great way to guarantee you’ll be produced by community theaters, but doesn’t always result in a satisfying story.

It’s to the credit of the creative team that even with a lackluster script, this production made for a charming theatrical experience. Goff manages to sidestep all of the play’s problems as she carefully directs the actors so that all their actions seem justified even when their character’s choices are suspect. The role of Ever, in particular, seems like it could be rife for all the wrong moves, but Goff’s sensitivity to the character, and a well-calibrated performance by Jahumpa, help us see the possibilities in Ever even before his dancing partner does.

The collaboration between the director and her leading man brought about a portrayal I think is among the best I’ve seen when it comes to streaming theater. Jahumpa’s eyes so beautifully translate what his objectives are even when his character has trouble verbalizing it. He’s both constantly active and also willing to be vulnerable, which allows for a superb dynamic between him and his co-star.

I was totally enamored with Gabriella Sanchez’s performance as Senga. She allowed the character’s emotional reactions to occur before she could rein them in with her words, both when she’s in pain, and when she starts to feel an attraction for Ever. The naturalism both actors adopted helped land more than a few comedic lines that otherwise might have been overwrought, and helped create the kind of intimate atmosphere that might be tricky to pull off in a theater, but not when the theater is in your living room.

The choices Goff and Daniels made in regard to what they wanted us to see and when they wanted us to see it were what helped me believe that theater has barely begun to take advantage of what digital has to offer. One choice I loved was having us see Senga’s Aunt Lynn, played by Mary Paolino, as she’s frantically calling Senga to check up on her. So much of what makes producing this kind of material work is saying “Why not?” when faced with an opportunity, and if you have the opportunity to showcase Mary Paolino, you’d be a fool not to.

Over the past few years, Barker has been finding ways to level up wherever possible — selecting more interesting titles, pairing up directors with tentpole-type productions, and really delivering on design. The set for Dancing Lessons was done by Dan Clements, and it’s a great homage to the sitcom-style residences you’d see in shows like “Friends,” while still creating that unique New York-living claustrophobia.

What takes this particular production to the next level is the cinematography and editing. Not only is it seamless, but it looks — and I apologize, because we don’t often use this word in theater a lot — rich. The quality of the video is top-notch, the cuts in the editing make sense and add to the experience, and the directorial tactics to elevate what we’re watching from simply a play-on-video to a full-fledged mixed-media production are something equity theaters should borrow from as soon as possible. Enough can’t be said about Daniels and his work here as an editor and videographer. If Barker is smart, they’ll book him for the rest of the season.

The best compliment I can give is that while I am sure every person working on the show wore at least five hats to make it possible, everything looked effortless. Marcia Layden who stage managed and had a cameo as Senga’s doctor, should be applauded for tackling something this ambitious.

Despite my misgivings about the script, it was a solid choice to tell the story of two people desperately in need of something greater than themselves that was physically always close but emotionally so difficult to reach. Watching them triumph over personal conflict was not only moving, but cathartic. I appreciate Goff letting the actors find movement that isn’t grounded in anger, as so often happens when directing a show about people who are nursing their own insecurities. Instead, she has them always moving toward understanding and, thankfully, kindness. That then logically takes us to an ending that is well-directed, well-shot, well-acted and well-earned. I’m sure there wouldn’t have been a dry eye in the house. There certainly wasn’t in mine.

And while it’s commonplace now to see theaters either remaining dark over their personal ambivalence when it comes to digital, or making the absolutely deranged choice to try theater in-person, I’m very grateful that I have something to reference when I need an example of what we can be doing right now to remind people how necessary theater is in their lives. If someone asks how I feel about what digital work can accomplish, now I can just say–

“Did you see Dancing Lessons?”

For tickets to upcoming shows from The Players at The Barker Playhouse, go to playersri.org