Thursday, April 20, 2017

In & Of Itself - A question of who we are and what we see

Reviewed by Judd Hollander

Before taking their seats in the Darryl Roth Theatre, audience members come face-to-face with a wall of cards. The different offerings listing various life choices. From "dreamer" and "cat person" to "working stiff" and "contortionist". Also making the cut are such career paths as "haberdasher", "fire eater" and "freeloader". Each ticket holder asked to chose the card that best describes how they see themselves. These choices coming into play during the next hour and a half as Derek Delgaudio demonstrates some very astute powers of observation, along with some intricate slight of hand in his one-person show, In & Of Itself.

More than a master magician, Delgaudio is also an expert storyteller. He recalling when he first fell in love with the idea the idea of magic and how, while honing his craft, he learned that when it comes to card play, there are many professionals who are masters of one method or another, but very few who are well-versed in a host of different tricks.

However the most important tenet of all that he picked up, and this under rather unusual circumstances, was when he learned that it's not what you can do, but how it comes across that matters. The idea being never to appear too showy or confident in your presentation. For doing so risks alienating those you're seeking to impress, or trying to fool. How one is perceived being a key component to a successful performance.

Delgaudio also relates a well-known fable about what happens when a group of blind men come upon an elephant and the different impressions they get when each man touches only one part of the animal. Perception again being the overall point of the story. Delgaudio also tosses in a bit of whimsy here when he wonders why no one ever thinks about how the elephant felt while being poked and prodded by so many people at once.

There's also an exploration of perception as it refers to inanimate objects. For example, one may pass a brick lying on the side of a road and pay no attention to it. However when that brick is thrown through your living room window, it takes on an entirely new meaning, both physically and emotionally.

Delgaudio make for both a genial and comforting host. The entire evening being a sort of journey of personal self discovery. He opening the show with a tale of a man who continually defied the odds via a game of a Russian roulette. The idea, one which Delgaudio translates to himself, is to continually push one's boundaries to see how far they can go.

This is another issue Delgaudio continually returns to as he tries to get the audience to understand both himself and his methods. Yet while Delgaudio goes to great lengths to explain who he is, including sharing a bit of his personal family history, the show's ultimate twist is that, by the time the performance is over, Delgaudio will have demonstrated just how well he knows those in the audience. This involving not only the cards people chose before the show began, but also a letter he gives to an unsuspecting audience member. One which turns out to be surprisingly personal for the one who reads it.

The letter sequence is one of several situations which involve audience participation. Those in attendance either helping Delgaudio with certain happenings on stage or contributing their own ideas to what is unfolding, or what may unfold in the future.

The show is ably directed by Frank Oz, who gives Delgaudio free rein to reach out to the audience on a seemingly one-to-one level. The work given an extra layer of subtlety thanks to the music of Mark Mothersbaugh.

Quite satisfying and intellectually stimulating, when all is said, shown and done, In & Of Itself proves to be a very enjoyable experience.

In & Of Itself
Written & Performed by Derek Delgaudio
Presented by Glenn Kaino, Neil Patrick Harris, Tom Werner, Gary Goddard Entertainment

Production Designer: A. Bandit
Lighting Designer: Adam Blumenthal
Sound Designer: Kevin Heart
Advertising & Marketing: The Pekoe Group
Press Representative: Vivacity Media Group
Production Supervisor: Production Core
Stage Manager: Christine Catti
Company Manager: Jon Hamel
General Management: DR Theatrical Management
Consulting Producer: Michael Webber, Sébastien Clergue
Co-Producer: Jake Friedman, Vanessa Lauren
Executive Producer: Prediction Productions
Original Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Directed by Frank Oz

Daryl Roth Theatre
101 East 15th Street
Tickets: 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com
Information: http://www.inandofitselfshow.com
Running Time: 90 minutes no intermission
Closes: June 18, 2017

No comments: