Tree Of Codes, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Friday October 20th 2017

"Tree Of Codes", State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival, Friday October 20th 2017

"Tree Of Codes" was presented as part of the Melbourne Festival at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday October 20th 2017

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and it is more of a stream of consciousness.

"Tree Of Codes" choreographed by Wayne McGregor was presented as part of the Melbourne Festival at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday October 20th 2017

In preparing the theatre, the EXIT signs were covered over as the reflections would interfere with many of the illusions.  When leaving the theatre after the show, the step lights had been covered over so as not to destroy the visual illusions of the reflections.

Sections for "Tree Of Codes" included:

The house lights dimmed and went down.

Lights illuminated from either side of the stage into the audience.

The lights dimmed on each side of the stage.

An orange spot light focused on my partner.  Friends of ours that were sitting in S Row, thought he was going up on stage as the light was so prominent on my partner.  They said it was spooky.

Darkness fell.

Dancing dots appeared on stage that reminded me of a troupe that I had seen recently on "America's Got Talent".  Maybe this troupe had been influenced by Wayne McGregor's "Tree Of Codes".  If so, this troupe showed the wonderful influence of Wayne McGregor, dance and technology via their contribution on mainstream competition on television.

Ten silver shapes on black stands were wheeled on in a blackout.  Each mirrored silver shape had a central hole.  A hand appeared through each of the central holes to show the different reflections, and to distinguish that each of the ten shapes had a different hand as they each did different movements.  Then they would trick our perspective by sometimes having the ten hands perform the same actions.  They would then alternate between individual and synchronised movements.

The lights came up slowly from a dark stage to reveal a stage-width-and-height-sized-mirror that hung upstage.  You could see the audience in this enormous mirror that was reminiscent of "Music and the Mirror" from "A Chorus Line".

The orange spot light returned and this time the images were reflected and appeared on stage in a large mirror upstage.  This orange spotlight moved throughout the theatre to show the reflection on the mirror.  You could see the reflection of the light in the mirror and where it focused on audience members.

Two dancers in nude briefs did a pas de deux in front of the mirror.

Then four dancers did a pas de quatre in front of the mirror.  We were gradually building the challenge to our perception of the perspectives of what we would see.  We questioned ourselves about what was real and what was being reflected.

Then twelve dancers danced various combinations.  Rarely were more than two dancers doing the same moves.

The back mirror shape changed.

A bank of red fluoro type lights was flown in to show the reflection in the mirror.

Another mirror wall was flown in downstage and two female dancers danced in front to show us their reflection in this new mirror.

Then a sole dancer danced in front of the downstage mirror and another dancer danced in between the two mirrors.  This showed the different types of reflections in the front mirror and the dancer in the middle had multiple reflections.

There were then variations of this theme with all of the twelve dancers in different combinations either in front of the downstage mirror or in between.  More colour was used in the t-shirts and costumes to differentiate the dancers behind the front mirror to those wearing plainer colours in the downstage area.  This was again to play with our sense of perspective to create a sense of reality and comfort, and then to distort our view.  The whole show was a human kaleidoscope that gradually built up with gradual changes pulsating and interspersed with reality checks.

This sequence finished with a dancer in the front dancing with a dancer in the middle section.  It was a pas de deux with a mirror in between.

The back mirror had a semi circular light outline.  Eventually this was moved as the mirror changed shape to allow the dancers entrances either side of the mirror.   Depending upon where you sat in the theatre, it appeared that the dancers were coming out of a potentially cracked mirror.  This was another play on our sense of perspective.

Dancers danced downstage and the back mirror was manipulated in such a way to distort our view as if the dancers were in full view downstage and their reflections appeared to either be on a raked stage or dancing in a pit as their bodies disappeared.  To challenge us even more was when one or two dancers would walk across this middle section and be fully visible while the reflections of others were disappearing below or raised up.  This was very similar to Cirque De Solei's "O" in Las Vegas where the performers appear to be walking on water, or walk into the water until they are fully submerged.  Visually it was stunning and challenging as I watched two large white-ish coloured pulley systems counter balance the rear mirrors to distort our view.  Very clever and sophisticated technology was used throughout the show.

I was so curious about the location of two banks of red lights that I could see in either side of the mirror.  I turned to see where they were located in the theatre and could not see them.  The reflections were so distinct on either side of the stage and it was magical to not be able to find their origin.  I am still in awe as to where they originated.

When debriefing with my fellow seven audience members who sat in different sections of the audience, those in the "S" row could clearly see these raked and disappearing illusions while friends sitting in closer seats in "C" row missed this illusion.   My cousin who flew from Sydney to see the show sat in "K" row and was able to see the raked stage illusion. We sat in "BB" row which in some ways was too close but in other ways was fascinating.  My partner, sitting next to me, could not see this rake or sinking illusion.  I would like to see this show again further back.

A larger mirror full of many rectangular panels and two large circular panels flew very close to the main curtain.  There were hinges to be seen and I knew something special would occur.  These two large circles began to rotate slowly within the large mirrored panelled wall.  The circles reflected images and lights into the audience and onto the back cyclorama blue wall.  These large circles then rotated in the opposite direction.

The orange spotlights returned as small lights from the back wall.  They intensified their light and shone again into the audience focusing on individuals and the reflections appeared on the mirrors.  At the finale there were two large orange reflections of audience members on the back wall.

Wayne McGregor's choreography was beautifully realised by the sublime dancers with superb technique.  I am curious about any influence or relationship from Laban notation, Benesh notation or Trisha Brown with her diagrammatic score (a numerical-spatial-cube) from "Lotus" (1975).  At times the choreography reminded me of the computer generated versions of all three.

The dancers were incredibly fit athletes with consummate artistry and technique.  Their extensions were so high and their rond de jambe en l'air were dynamic and powerful as they sliced the air.  Their attitudes derriere were exquisitely pure.  The pas de deux throughout were solid, secure and electric.

The dancing was sublime but the choreography at times felt repetitive with the style.  I sound spoiled for choice with such incredible performances but I have seen a lot of good choreography and thought there was something missing.  The pace had such a bland sameness that it highlighted the needed for some variation.  It could have been the textures and qualities were so similar rather than layering various qualities and timing.  There was a flow that seduced me but I wanted more depth of intensity of movements.

The audience was selfishly spoiled with the high standard of dance.  As such the choreography was overwhelming as there was too much action at times.  Wayne McGregor's choreography is so frenetic and unrelenting with no respite to savour sequences.  I begged for some simultaneous work or quiet times to allow for reflection.  As Stephen Sondheim, says: audiences need time to digest lyrics.  Here, the audience needed time to digest the choreographed movements. The audience was gasping for breath and needed time to breath.  When the pauses did occur they created slight trough between the constant peaks in dance.

By being spoiled with such incredible quality of dance, music and technology the audience can become a bit blase and expect this from every show.  I felt cheated at missing many of the incredible dance variations as there was too much happening.

Two female dancers, that look like twins, even with their blonde and pink hair, danced magnificently. When they danced together it challenged us again to question whether we were seeing double.

Music by Jamie XX was pulsating and engaging.

The Visual Concept by Olafur Eliasson, which included the lighting and design, was sensational and at times overwhelming that detracted from the dance.

"Tree Of Codes"  is based on the Jonathon Safran Foer book "Tree of Codes" which is based on the "Street of Crocodiles" by Bruno Schultz that was made into a short film.  Scissors hang from above in the short animated film.  I wonder if "Under Siege" designers obtained their scissor designs idea from this short movie.  Either way there are two shows that have hanging scissors imagery - one on stage and the other on film! 

"Tree Of Codes" provided a good companion piece to "More Up A Tree" with the mirrored cube that played at The Substation.  "Tree Of Codes" focused so heavily on the technology that at times drew focus away from the brilliant dancing.

In some ways I think the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne was the wrong venue and needed to be at a similar venue to the Park Avenue Armory in New York.  I question the use of the State Theatre as the most appropriate venue when I looked at the Park Avenue Armory time lapse photography of the staging set up from Wayne McGregor's brilliant site.

The videos provided on Wayne McGregor's site allow the audience to savour their experience and this is what I mean about a holistic experience.  The Wayne McGregor's site allows the audience to be prepared and anticipate an event in conjunction with any advertising and marketing before attending a show.  We can then experience the show and then revisit the Wayne McGregor's site to reflect and be informed or educated.

"Tree Of Codes" was presented as part of the Melbourne Festival at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday October 20th 2017

"Tree Of Codes"  obtained a 9/10.