Synetic Theater's Dante

New TNG theatre guy, Chris, submits this review.

Describing Synetic Theater’s current production of Dante is difficult without first understanding how the Synetic artistic team approaches the stage. In his program notes, director Paata Tsikurishvili describes Synetic, “To us, the stylistic, the surreal, the musical and vocal and choreographed elements of theatre, are all tools of our storytelling. None are ends in their own right, and the creation of the visual opera necessitates the use of all these elements.” As the name suggests, Synetic Theater presents audiences with a compelling synthesis of acting, interpretive dance, movement, pantomime and acrobatics woven together with original music. Synetic Theater chooses a classic work and then tears it open, turns it inside out and puts the piece back together. The result stays true to the original, yet allows audience members to gain a new perspective on the material. Synetic’s take on Dante Alighieri’s epic poem The Divine Comedy is wild, gritty and thought provoking.

Written sometime between 1308 and 1321, the Commedia tells the story of Dante (the author in first person) traveling through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. Being “type A” to the extreme, Dante assembled his vision of the afterlife with multiple circles (Hell has nine), terraces (Purgatory has seven) and spheres (Paradise has nine). Within each of these strata are various layers and rings, each an allegorical setting populated with the dead. Instead of interpreting all 14,000 lines of the poem, Synetic’s adaptation team (Ben Cunis, Nathan Weinberger, and Paata Tsikurishvili) tells a more personal story of Dante’s disillusionment with the world, his love for his “ideal woman,” Beatrice, and his travels through Hell to redemption.

The demanding role of Dante is played by Ben Cunis who is on-stage for nearly all of the show. Cunis’ Dante is strong but vulnerable enough to be appropriately affected by the horrors he experiences in Hell. I found myself rooting for this anti-hero from the beginning. Instead of storming into Hell ready to kick ass and take over, Cunis brings humility and humanity to Dante that is immediately appealing and suits him well throughout the evening. Greg Marzullo plays Dante’s guide, the ancient poet Virgil, with meaningful depth. Instead of merely being a guide, Marzullo’s Virgil is caring yet mischievous. Throughout his performance, I was reminded of the cautionary ghosts in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, or the sultry Emcee from the musical Cabaret. These characters are guides, yes, but they aren’t necessarily the protagonists’ best friend. Natalie Berk, as Dante’s love Beatrice, shines in the opening love duet and then pops up throughout the show as a beacon to Dante, displaying appropriate longing and desire.

A fifteen-person supporting cast fills the roles of demons, souls and others that Dante meets along his way. Philip Fletcher, Alex Mills and Ryan Sellers bring Satan’s demons to life with savage glee as they taunt, whip and torture the residents throughout Hell. Other standouts include Elizabeth Van Den Berg as Ugolino, a haunting soul with a stomach-turning confession, and Chris Galindo as a corrupt bishop who receives his jaw-dropping punishment in a startling and unsettling scene that I don’t dare give away.

The set and lighting are clean and effective. A spiraled and jagged series of rings draw the audience to center stage where a portal opens to reveal some of the spookier citizens of Hell, backlit in intense reds and blues. The costumes, designed by Anastasia Ryurikov Simes, are staggering and bold. Imagine a mix of BDSM leatherwear with 80s New York punk with classic medieval garb. The costumes, around 70 in all, are lurid, innovative and dramatic – and show plenty of skin on the guys and girls both. The cast is athletic, agile and attractive. The physical displays lend undertones of sexual energy where effective. There are a number of erotic moments (homo and hetero), ranging from the very subtle to the graphic and disturbing. Simes does a fantastic job in bringing the difficult characters to life. The Fortunetellers stumble with their limbs and head twisted the wrong way, and The Gluttonous are wrapped in sickly plastic, worming their way around the stage. Irina Tsikurishvili’s choreography is physically demanding and extremely energetic. The physicality carries the storytelling responsibilities well where words are few and far between.

Synetic gives its audience plenty to ponder. The journey with Dante becomes a personal one – I couldn’t help but wonder which circle of Hell Dante would cast me off to (as if such things are decided by 14th century Italian poets). Many of the images, particularly those of The Hypocrites and The Suicides, are deeply disturbing and difficult to watch. Still, the truly spooky thing is that we see a bit of ourselves in each scene. The piece resonates so well because it holds a mirror up to our own actions and forces a long stare. Dante found his redemption, giving us the hope that we can do the same.

Dante runs through March 22nd at Rosslyn Spectrum. Running time is 90 minutes and there is no intermission. Directed by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili. Set, costume and props designed by Anastasia Ryurikov Simes. Lighting designed by Andrew F. Griffin and music design by Konstantine Lortkipanidze. Fight Choreography by Ben Cunis. The piece was adapted by Ben Cunis, Nathan Weinberger and Paata Tsikurishvili. Tickets are $15 – $40. For more info, visit Synetic Theater