Deviants
presented by Live Action Set
Showtimes
Fri., Aug. 1 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 2 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 3 @ 7:00 p.m.
Tue., Aug. 5 @ 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 6 @ 7:00 p.m.
Thu., Aug. 7 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 8 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 10 @ 7:00 p.m.
Show details
Venue: The Soap Factory
Duration: 60 minutes
For ages 13+
Created by Live Action Set and Bob Rosen
Website: www.liveactionset.org
Genres: Dance, Comedy, Drama
Warnings: Violence, Adult language, Sexual Content
Overall rating
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by Brian Watson-Jones Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I couldn't tell you what this show was about. Well, deviance, sure. And I could tell you what happened. But not why, or where it goes. The imagery was amazing, the moments were powerful, and the communication was impossible. These people wanted to tell you their stories; wanted to be understood and accepted. But they couldn't. Brilliant. Thank you.
Compellingly puzzling and disturbing
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is one of those shows where you simply can't sit and worry about what it all "means." Just sit back and let the wild and troubling imagery and text take you where your mind wants to go. Very disturbing, yet disturbingly funny at times as well. I'll never feel the same about cutting the end off of a banana, that's for sure. Creepy, well-produced, well-performed and mind-stretching. Not for everyone, though.
About the pillars...
by Mike Haight Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Saw it, loved it, don't have a whole lot to add *except*...
Lots of comments about the pillars. Certainly that's not the only room in the soap factory that could be used for a performance. But looking at the tagline from the show description ("the story of ... behaviors ... conventional society does not want to see but can't ignore"), I have to think it's intentional that they've got pretty much every audience member stretching for a better view of the "Deviants" at some point in the show. Even if it's not intentional, still brilliant.
disturbing and wonderful
by Tanja Birke Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The show was an amazing feat of choreography in an otherwise challenging space, especially considering the last minute actor change. The characters were real and disturbing at the same time, I'm sure I've encountered all of them in some form in real life. The performances were excellent, except I thought the tall man was less believable and his performance was a little bland. Overall, I was moved, disturbed, challenged and affected--all good things to happen in theater!
Fetish Voyeur's Catharsis
by Mikael Rudolph Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
"A Non-linear, expressionistic, surreal, abstract performance with a dark comedy flavor full of twists and turns. Great physical movement and use of vocal sounds to enhance a creative use of space and time. Must See"
Wait... that is what Dixie Treichel wrote...
This type of theatre is not for everyone. Some people need more linear, chronological story-telling and that is why suburban theater thrives.
This style of theatre is to the playwrights who brought us "Meet me in St. Louis" and "Bye bye Birdy" what Picasso is to a portrait photographer in a mall.
Saw it early on at the Red Eye. It is a bit less disturbing but much more coherent and clear.
Good growth. Dixie nailed it.
an hour of my life i'll never get back
by sharon baker Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
interesting idea...actors were all 1000% committedâ¦iâm giving a kitty for the effort, butâ¦this didnât do anything for me. some parts were difficult to see due to the buildingâs support beams. after a while, i stopped trying to see.
still, i find myself trying to piece it together. the symbolism of the milk, a milkman, people being born, telling weird childhood stories, competing for attention or acknowledgement, explaining to the audience that lifeâs path is inherently violent (birth, sex, eating meat, death), performing a few approximations of sex, someone seeming dead but is soon revived by milk, the plastic curtains come down and the riot begins. âhungerâ and âenslaveâ are painted in red, thereâs a rabbit and a buck (the shadows of which were the only cause for laughter for me), people competing again, barriers, thenâ¦i escaped through an exit. did everyone die at the end?
iâm planning to ask some more people about this show. the positive reviews already posted are not helpful to me ascertaining whatâs good about this show.
Viva la Dada!
by dixie treichel Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A Non-linear, expressionistic, surreal, abstract performance with a dark comedy flavor full of twists and turns. Great physical movement and use of vocal sounds to enhance a creative use of space and time. Must See
So we named him Lucifer
by Taylor Marshall-Miernicki Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
as you probably have seen in many reviews about this show, the pillars were horrible. moving around constantly to see better. if this was suppose to be an "artistic choice" it was a poor one.
the actors were dedicated and weren't afraid to "go there" which led to an interesting performance that i wont soon forget. but they leave many things hanging there (both figuratively and literally) that leaves people in a constant state of "what?". the whole time you feel like you've missed something (which you just might have, going back to the pillar thing) and in the end you feel left out. instead of engaging the audience in the performance the actors ran about, hooting and hollaring, making noice or just being silent. whatever the moment was you couldn't help but feel...lost.
what i would like to see from this piece is first off a better stage where the audience can see, second more balance of mild-sence-making and just being weird, third a connection between the characters, and fourth more strange spotlight stories. that was my favorite part and the reason i'm not giving a two.
i did laugh, i did think about what it meant or didn't mean, and i left feeling unsatisfied.
DO NOT MISS THIS
by deborah sherman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
i am here at fringe for the first time from out of town...this isnt just an amazing show...it is well thought out...conceptually smart and visually stunning...the level of commitment from the 4 performers surpasses everything i have seen at this festival since it started...thanks to LAS for making my trip from miami worth it.
Interdisciplinary dance theatre with con
by Rex Winsome Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show kicks ass. Deviants has got it all, raw energy, roughness, discipline, proficiency and commitment, honesty, daring, intelligence, process, surprise, alienation, emotion, action and cruelty. The spirit of Artaud is on stage with these people. MUST SEE!
my favorite show of the year
by Ruth Alkons Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I love love loved it. I keep doing the sexy dance craziness all around the house. It was more than funny (and I do get the subtext, but still).
NOT FOR EATING!!!!!
Almost brilliant
by Kim Lee Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I have to say I've seen a couple of other LIve Action shows because I love the concept of them and there are some truly kick ass performers. But I keep wanting them to take it up that one exta notch. Push themselves to make something just a little bit more challenging. I'm not saying this is bad by any means! And if you haven't seen Live Action, get your butt there RIGHT NOW! They are soooo good. Teetering on greatness.
Why is this hidden away?
by Kris Man About Fringe Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I didn't even know the Soap Factory had a show until I was told of this by a friend who raved about it over coffee. He came to see it again on my dime and I'd pay for us both to see it again. Simply superb.
Alienation Abounds
by Ben Thietje Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
This show is a great example of why itâs so difficult for theatre to exist without government funding.
Mind Blowing
by Elizabeth Behnke Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I wasn't sure what to expect with this show- except that it would be good.
I was right. This show is amazingly creepy, but mind blowing. I was still trying to wrap my mind around it the next day. What amazing and talented artists. I plan on seeing it again.
Hmm, hmm, good!
by Gary Peterson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Too many artists or their organizations presume a mantle of uniqueness in asserting that their work boldly goes where none have gone before: pushing boundaries, exploring new worlds, and creating new vocabularies or tomes in whatever discipline they pursue. Would, for the integrity of their p.r., that it was true.
Wisely, the four principals of Live Action Set avoid the overblown claims of such claptrap. They understand that the embodiment of their creativity must be innovative to them and its presentation delivered with accomplished and engaging conviction. They "get" that their collective motivation produces an "intangible creative synergy" distinct from their individual possibilities.
The results of their approach can be seen in "Deviants," a work of intelligence by young adults, for adults of all ages, that easily could have become trite and facile. In a non-linear format, it examines constructions of the acceptable and the deviant, the desired and the repressed. Some of the forbidden fantasies-turned-obsessions, along with their real or imagined imagery, may challenge some viewers.
The genius of "Deviants," if you will, may be found in its successful creation of an alternative reality and the ability of a very talented cast to transport an audience to its realms. The ensemble launches the journey using all of the raw, warehouse space of The Soap Factory, including trapdoors and pillars. While the pillars become an integral part of the set and scene, they pose an unacceptable barrier to sightlines.
The members of Live Action Set, with their varied backgrounds in theater and dance, have forged a cohesive, collective character that accents the strengths of each individual. Their future foraging across the artistic landscape will be welcome.
They are worthy successors to the ensemble of artists formerly known as Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis (and, formerly, Paris). The work presented by the Set at the Soap Factory echoes the fascinating, early-1980s productions by Jeune Lune in the Seven Corners neighborhood of Minneapolis. Jeune Lune's founders shared an aesthetic background in their training at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq. Although the founders of the Set do not share a similar set of experiences, their bond is a shared sensibility and a commitment to ensemble-driven outcomes.
Jeune Lune collapsed in financial distress last month, nearly 30 years after its first Minneapolis performance. Interestingly, Robert Rosen, a co-founder of Jeune Lune, served as director and co-creator of Deviants (and, Rosen and Bremer both studied at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater in California).
Whatever their longevity together, one can wish the artists of Live Action Set a happy and productive life of continued creativity.
Don't Bring the Kids
by Sharon Kahn Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Whoa. This is not the kind of show I would have expected to like, but I did in fact like it very much. It's another one of those dance/spoken word combos with spooky music and ambitious special effects. The subject (forbidden desires) is very dark and surprisingly kinky: absolutely Not For Children. Some of the audience members looked quite dismayed - I wonder if they were expecting another clown show like last year. I'll tell ya, none of us who saw this show will ever be able to look at a banana the same way. But it's really good, honest! The imagery is powerful and the performers are unbelievably energetic and apparently impervious to pain. I recommend seeing this one immediately; after a week of this the performers are going to be swathed in Ace bandages, synthetic skin, eye-patches and possibly a peg leg or two. The dancer in the slinky black dress was already sporting a knee brace on Saturday, and if she makes it through the week without breaking an ankle in those 4-inch spike heels it will be a miracle. btw, when people refer to the Soap Factory as "an interesting space" they mean that no matter where you sit it's impossible to see around the huge wooden pillars. Just pick a spot where nobody's head is in your way and accept the fact that you aren't SUPPOSED to see the performers all the time. The cast has come to terms with the space and will repeat anything important in several different locations so everybody gets to see it. The peek-a-boo nature of the action actually adds to the creepy ambience.
Challenging and visceral
by Stephanie Brower Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Hmmm...definitely not for kids, despite the bunny suit. I was a little freaked out during the performance, but ended up talking about it a lot since then - isn't that what Fringe is about? There were several images that were stark and breathtaking. The pillar thing only bothered me until I saw that they were using them in the performance - both as physical launching points during one sequence and as a way to make the work challenging to watch. It's hard to look at but you can't look away - just like the subject matter. Kudos.
Cool and weird and well done
by Mike Rasmussen Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Truly excellement movement work. Not so excellent text or story work, but it was good enough overall to make me give it four kitties. As they say.
...
by Theo Langason Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
There are parts of this show that I really loved. The imagery for instance was haunting and though provoking. The actors performed brilliantly. But there were also parts that I didn't like at all. The pillars in the space made for a tedious chore of craning you neck to see a better view. And at times I felt really disconnected and like the actors were just doing the show for themselves. It truly was an experience. I would say see it just to know what it's like, but sit as front-row-center as possible.
Put this on your "SEE" list
by Laurel Hansen Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The acting and physical ability of the actors was impressive. The use of the unique stage was creative. The views are obstructed, but I felt like it added to the performance, not detracted.
The subject matter will lead to thought and conversation.
OMFG
by Donovan Walker Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This is the best performance I've seen in a long time. It is abstract, disturbing, and beautiful. The choreography is excellent, as is the use of space and set pieces. If you can get there early I'd suggest it. The pillars, and what you don't see, are as important as what you do.
I can't believe they let her do that to the building with a hatchet....
The sum is less...
by Patrick Pfundstein Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
There are some elements of greatness here; talented, all-out performances, and several stunning moments of theatrical imagery (Noah Bremer's lamp scene, an erotic dance of death, the web of madness, the painted curtain, the creative use of shadows), but the moments never built on each other. For me they had a disconnected workshoppy feel that left the sum of the whole much less than its parts. Two pieces of advice: get there early enough to get a front row seat, I probably saw the actors about half the time, which may explain part of my disconnection; and be aware (for scheduling purposes) that at least on Friday night, the show ran a good 70 minutes long.
Fan-Damn-Tastic
by Robin Garwood Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Everything I want to see in art of any kind: poses big questions and doesn't offer pat answers. See it.
The Dark Side of Dysfunctional Families
by Dave Romm Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Deviants is everything a Fringe show should be. The structure is superbly conceived and developed. The versatile actors make the choreography seem like natural movement. The unique Soap Factory space is used to great effect. The story is subject to much interpretation; that is, I didn't understand all of it but the goings on made quite an impact. Not for kids, nor for the faint of heart. A bit longer than an hour, so be careful scheduling the next Fringe slot. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.
