7 (x1) Samurai
7 (x1) Samurai
Created and performed by David Gaines
Orlando Fringe Festival
Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL</strong>
This commentary was based on a technical prevue.
Here’s an amazing repeat of a Fringe favorite from a few years back. While Americans grew up on cowboy movies, the Japanese revered the samurai. Both genera had common elements: individual integrity, individual skill, individual responsibly to protect the poor and weak. There were cross overs, Kurasowa’s “Seven Samurai” became John Sturges’s “The Magnificent Seven”. Actor and acrobat David Gaines strips the original down to its bare bones: the wide open space become they relative large and set-free Margeson Theater, Good and Evil are masks, and the helpless peasants weird little noises and hand gestures. How weird are those little nosies? Pay attnation and you’ll heas “Ping Pang Poon Tang” and “Ping Poon Dang Shoon.” Gaines excels at making each persona on stage unique and identifiable; his fight scenes are brilliant as he mimes a sword ballet, then becomes the enemy cut upon who slowly falls apart to the floor on limb at a time. This is the heart of theatre: one small person manufactures one huge universe filled with action, suspense and humor.
This show was part of the 2015 Orlando Fringe Festival. Information on tickets and times may be found at www.OrlandoFringe.org.
