In The Curious Hold of The Demeter: Count Orlock at Sea
Albanian vampires wear high-heels. Bulgarian vampires have only one nostril. Vampires in Brazil could stand to have their hairy feet waxed.
It is certainly unfortunate that a quick search for ’vampire’ on Wikipedia provides much more interest, thrill, clarity, and even humor than In the Curious Hold of The Demeter: Count Orlock at Sea now on view through October 25 at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Studio Theater.
Loosely based on F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film "Nosferatu," "In the Curious Hold" has a promising premise: Orlock, haven just drained the blood of a highly caffeinated waiter, can’t sleep during his long journey aboard a Russian schooner, but what he has to say in the rather slight 45-minute duration of the play doesn’t fill even that little slice of the voyage.
Despite the play’s rich concept, impressive costumes and multifaceted attempt at storytelling (puppetry, shadow play, masks), there simply isn’t much actually happening. This at first seems appropriate, as the play is in many ways about boredom, but, alas, constructing a play around boredom makes little sense, even if French literary critic Roland Barthes once wondered, "Might boredom be my form of hysteria?" Orlock’s hallucinations, recollections, embarrassing masturbatory memories, and even song-and-dance routines pass by one after the other, neither hysterical or even all that interesting.
It is perplexing that the otherwise very talented Jill Summers, who narrates the story in a tone more-or-less deader than deadpan, authored the play. Summers specializes in audio fiction -- her much better, less fantastical work has been heard on Chicago Public Radio’s 3rd Coast International Audio Festival -- so it’s especially disappointing that her dry delivery, particularly of the ship’s senseless coordinates, verges on the ’whaa whaa whaa’ of Charlie Brown’s teacher.
Credit is certainly due the Incurable Theater Company’s founders and puppet-designers Damien Hinojosa and Jennifer Friedrich (who also directed the play) for creating delightful, fascinating objects that often upstaged the action (this explains the Jim Henson grant). Hinojosa also portrays Count Orlock and is clearly a skilled physical comedian; though "Nosferatu" may be far too obscure a reference to properly parody without words.
Those looking for a fresh take on puppetry and a compelling plot may have better luck with Cabaret of Desire, another production opening October 9 at Chicago’s DCA Storefront Theater, based on the work of Federico Garcia Lorca.
Chicago’s DCA Studio Theater is located at 77 E Randolph, inside the Chicago Cultural Center, and is presenting In the Curious Hold of the Demeter: Count Orlock at Sea till October 25. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.dcatheater.org
