The Wait Room
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Dance Camera West Festival
Through January 12
This review is part of the Z. Clark Branson/Stage Raw/Grow@TheWallis Mentorship Program for Young Journalists
The Wait Room, Experimental Short, Austin Forbord, United States
Written by Jo Kreiter and directed by Austin Forbord of Rapt Productions, this experimental short features four dancers and one well-constructed set piece—a stationary rolling platform with three fixed chairs, a table, and a tower with a seat—paired with a strong score that engages from the opening shot.
The calculated use of strings, the ticking of a clock, and the clever arrangement of audial testimonies is crucial to the communication of the film’s theme: the experience of women with incarcerated loved ones. Pamela Z clearly constructs the score around verbal motifs like “And so you’re just waiting,” “Just tearing my pockets out,” and “What I would like to change most about the prison systems,” turning them into rhythmic figures that establish the music’s pulse. Melodic motifs also emerge in the strings, in piano, and in choral figures. The dance features repetition as well, counting the chimes of the clock and employing a recurring sequence of movements close to the face and torso. This structure plays well, especially when it interfaces with the beat of the score.
The beautiful simplicity of the choreography shines through in moments such as “Just tearing my pockets out,” when a dancer directly responds to the score by smoothly turning out their pockets. In other moments, the symbolism is less explicit but equally strong; the dancers literally swing, climb, and are suspended to demonstrate the adversities women face in the walls between them and their loved ones. The incorporation of the set piece’s furniture into the dance works well to this end. Especially thought-provoking are motions like elbow jabs and curled up rocking back and forth, which gracefully convey fighting and suffering in sync with the music. However, at times the score and the visuals are not in sync; the testimonies, though beautiful, can exacerbate the unnatural silence of the dancers brought by removing all live audio and take viewers out of the moment. The elements are more connected when the dancers use sweeping gestures and motions evocative of clock hands or numbers against legato strings and ticking sound effects. Seeing the clock face on the set piece from above was a powerful moment as well. The themes of time and waiting are clear throughout and constantly developing, and the film’s message is thoroughly delivered without being abrasive or overzealous.
The filmmakers go beyond live dance possibilities by relocating dancers between cuts, effectively and instantaneously transforming the space. An impressive element of the editing is the continuity of shots, especially the mid-air revolutions, though at times the scene would have been better served by long shots as the cuts become too fast and jarring. Using a harness on a rolling set piece for extended flight sequences is quite brilliant, but it does go on a little too long and may lose the interest of some audience members towards the end. Also towards the end, the wide vibrato of the vocal soloist was distracting and felt inappropriate, clashing with the slightly out-of-sync backing vocals.
Overall, the film is strong, but its ending lacks the energy that draws audiences in from the beginning. Although much of the choreography is elegant and masterfully symbolic, the repeated figures are the moments that will stay longest after watching. Still, viewers should acknowledge the high production values and the great amount of time, thought, and energy that went into this powerful piece.
DANCE CAMERA WEST FESTIVAL at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., Downtown; and AUTOMATA, 504 Chung King Ct., Chinatown; Thurs.-Sun., screening times vary; through Jan. 12th. Festival Schedule here. Running time: 15:00
