Dorothy & Alice: An Aerial Play
Reviewed by Angie Hoover
Aeriform Arts Studio (Hollywood Fringe Festival)
Closed
Two lesbians walk into a bar… and hang from it as it ascends 10 ft. into the air to 90s grunge music.
Dorothy & Alice, the debut production of Aeriform Arts Studio in Hollywood, is a psychedelic tornado that sweeps you up and spits you out before you can say, “There’s no place like homoerotic acrobat school.” The story, written by Itamar Moses, is simple but engaging, offering a framework that thematically links the main characters from The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland together without distracting from the action or attempting to infuse it with unnecessary drama. After all, women hanging by their toes from strips of silk is dramatic enough on its own.
Each scene is essentially the same, a cheeky playground conversation between young versions of Dorothy (Tamysen Malles) and Alice (Monica Miklas), which plays on the audience’s existing knowledge of their backstories. In cabaret style, these vignettes act as introductions to aerial dance numbers that are spectacular, strange, and full of surprises (spoiler: there are stilts).
Lead aerialists Malles and Miklas, under the direction of Colleen Dunleap, are energetic and buoyant, capable of keeping the show moving without rushing it along. Although their childlike delivery can be a bit grating, it helps to fortify a tone that is both imaginative and delightfully creepy.
The show overcomes many of the challenges that come with developing a movement-based show and staging it a small space by use of inventive makeup (designed by Gilley Hall), costume (uncredited), and lighting design (Brandon Baruch). The only significant complaint is that the performance ran shorter than advertised. Despite this, Dorothy & Alice is a theatrical acid trip that leaves the audience feeling inspired and excited for what the company will create next.
Aeriform Arts, 1276 N. Van Ness Ave, LA CA 90038; https://www.hollywoodfringe.
