Past Production

COMPANY ONE PRESENTS…

The acclaimed New York based performance troupe

Universes

In

Slanguage

Company One is proud to present the nationally touring phenomenon Slanguage for a special limited Boston engagement.  Slanguage – called “STOMP for the larynx” by the Los Angeles Times – is the latest boundary-smashing creation by Universes, a troupe of five multi-disciplined performers hailing from the South Bronx.  Fusing poetry, jazz riffs, and hip-hop with politics, down home blues, and Spanish boleros, the group creates a unique theatrical experience turning the poem into a communal act.  Tracking the evolution of their poetic language from childhood rhymes to community rituals to literary gospel, Universes integrates theatre and the street with humor and emotional truth.

'Slanguage' benefits from word of mouth
By Sandy MacDonald, Globe Correspondent | July 23, 2005

Slang can be a slippery thing -- one minute a social passkey, the next the embodiment of passe. Steven Sapp, ringleader of Universes, a performance group spawned nine years ago by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York, sacrifices a shred of street cred in promising spectators at ''Slanguage" that they can impress teenagers by knowing enough to pronounce ''All right" as ''Ah-iiiight." So rapid is the assimilation of slang in today's media-saturated culture that even old fogies far removed from the inner-urban loop are likely to have heard that one before.

But that's just one tiny misstep in a headlong explosion of poetry, percussion, and multi-culti musical exploration that absolutely demands to be seen -- if not for the textual aspect (much o f the verbiage comes across contrived rather than inspired), then for the electric, kinetic performances.

Mildred Ruiz has the kind of powerhouse contralto voice that can fill stadiums and set nearby bodies to thrumming. Also a captivating orator, she acts out a Seussian tale of two rival gangs who come to realize that the real enemy is not each other, but the culture vultures co-opting, commodifying, and cashing in on their signature styles. (Alliteration, which can be catching, is the central device of the poem that frames the 90-minute set, loosely structured as an imaginary subway ride from Brooklyn to the Bronx.)

The caveat about exploitation is a lesson one wishes that Universes took more to heart, because way too much of the material consists of references and homages to name-brand cultural icons -- LeRoi Jones, ''Langston and Lorca," Sonia Sanchez, Miguel Pinero, Lord Buckley, Allen Ginsberg, Ali . . . These figures do help to create a common language, but th e strongest scenes don't need any such reinforcement; they manage to make a visceral connection without the random riffing -- a great deal of which is, in any case, over-amped to the point of unintelligibility.

Highlights include Gamal Abdel Chasten as a young black man enthralled with Asian martial arts and getting flak for forsaking his roots. Choreographed to kung fu moves, the monologue is a brilliant example of verbal and physical integration -- plus, it's funny.

Also effective is Ninja, a new member of the company who resembles Jack Black and projects a similar air of barely contained, half-comic menace. Playing a prisoner facing his ''first day on the inside," he assembles a collage of family photos ''to remind me of the me I'm supposed to be," while gearing up to project a tough-guy persona.

As for Sapp, he perhaps doesn't allow himself enough solo stage time, beyond emceeing and narrating a Beat rap toward the end. Thoughout the show you get glimp ses of how instantly he can climb into character -- a junkie nodding out on the subway, say -- but he exudes so much intelligence and vitality that you're left yearning for a deeper, longer look.

Director Jo Bonney, who has helped to shape the solo shows of her husband, performance artist Eric Bogosian, is credited with having channeled the diverse talents of the Universes principals into a cohesive show. They've got a salable entity now that travels and translates well. Several of the members are so outstanding, though, that one can't help wishing them ever broader avenues of expression.

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.

‘Slanguage’ offers insightful vignettes

Bob Nesti

They may not appear to have much in common — one, after all, is a 400-year-old Shakespeare tragedy, while the other is a plotless entertainment so original as to push the envelope of what theater can be; but think again.

“Hamlet,” as presented by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company on the Common, offers a startlingly modern twist on this Medieval tale of revenge; while “Slanguage,” at the BCA, the New York performance group Universes — with their dazzling display of linguistic fireworks — make Def Poetry Jam seem like a meeting of the Dead Poet’s Society.

The cast of “Slanguage” perform their amalgamation of musical styles recently at the Boston Center for the Arts. Company One brought the performers known as Universes to the Hub and they bring the poetry slam into the 21st century.

Not surprisingly Universes comes to town under the auspices of Company One, the socially conscious theater company that has presented the plays of Stephen Adly Guirgis (most memorably their Elliot Norton Award-winning “Jesus Hopped the A-Train?” and “Den of Thieves”) and the recent premiere of Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge’s “One Hundred and Three Within the Veil.”

As its title suggests, “Slanguage” offers an amalgam of styles — 50’s doo-wop, 90’s hip-hop, jazz, poetry slam, salsa, gospel — that converge in a dazzling display of verbal virtuosity. While the material has the raw, anxious beat of urban life, the style is as sophisticated as a Bach fugue. That might seem an odd analogy, but the genius of Universes comes with their precise, musical delivery. “Slanguage” is as much about the power of musical expression as it is about the words themselves.

The loose premise has the quintet riding an express train from Brooklyn to the Bronx; en route they pause to tell stories and anecdotes, many drawn from their own experiences living in New York City, that burst with fresh insights. One of the best bits chronicles a battle between street gangs told in the manner of a Dr. Seuss story. In another bit the influence of kung-fu giant Bruce Lee is celebrated; and, as something of an anchor point, the A-B-C’s of “Slanguage” are brilliantly expressed in verse in a tongue-twisting manner by the multi-talented Steven Sapp, one of the group’s co-founders who acts as their leader.

Collectively and individually, the members of the group shine throughout. Mildred Ruiz, another of the group’s co-founders, is something of their “Earth Mother,” rooting their energy with her booming vocal expression. Gamal Abdel-Chasten has a street-smart charm while Ninja supplies some rich vocal support as does newcomer Marlyn Matias.

As shaped and staged by Jo Bonney, the stories flow with seamless skills, as do the cleverly interpolated musical interludes where pop songs are sampled to clever effect. Their take on the ‘50s hit “Rockin’ Robin” is especially funny. With “Slanguage” Universes bring the poetry slam into the 21st century.

But how do you make “Hamlet” fresh for today’s audience. That’s the question facing Steven Maler and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company who celebrated their 10th anniversary with a production of the classic on the Common through August 7.

Over the past decade the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, under the artistic direction of Steven Maler, has carved themselves a niche in Boston’s cultural scene with their free productions of Shakespeare on the Boston Common. To celebrate their 10th year, Maler (who earlier this year scored a stunning success with a reading of Charles Fuller’s “A Soldier’s Play” with a first-rate cast of African American actors) chose the most daunting and familiar of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

But how do you bring fresh insight to a play as familiar as “Hamlet”? That’s the challenge Maler and his talented company of largely local actors, including Jacqui Parker and Darius Williams in supporting roles, face with their modern dress production that continues in the company’s new summer home on the slope of the hill near Beacon Street.

The major exception to Maler’s use of local actors is the casting of Jeffrey Donovan as Hamlet. This actor, who had a major supporting role in the recent Will Smith vehicle “Hitch” and starred in the cable series “Touching Evil,” may not appear to be a logical choice in this most challenging of roles. But for once the risk pays off. Donovan brings such aggressiveness to the role that this revenge drama is fiercer, more relentless than in a more traditional staging. There’s a method to this prince’s madness, and it is that of a young rebel with a cause.

The result is a ruthless Hamlet whose single-mindedness approaches that of a sociopath. Donovan doesn’t dwell on the poetry in his numerous speeches; instead they’re cast off almost as asides. Those looking for a heroic Hamlet should best rent the Kenneth Branagh or Laurence Olivier film versions; Donovan is closer to that of the recent Ethan Hawke film version. For once it is a relief to see an age-appropriate Hamlet who looks as if he walked out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad and speaks in a husky vibrato that has rich resonance.

Maler’s bold approach is enhanced by the production’s highly stylized look. Set designer Leiko Fuseya’s vaulted castle setting resembles the skewed lines of architect Frank Gehry’s work; Clint Ramos’s eclectic costumes range from Upper Newbury Street chic to Lower Newbury Street grunge that are perfectly suited for each character. Linda O’Brien’s striking lighting is perfectly in tune with the play’s moodiness as are J.Hagenbuckle’s stark soundscapes.

There is smart use of human-sized puppets, both in the Tim Burton-like ghost and as the players in the play-within-the-play and the pool that lines the front of the stage. (Ophelia’s death is truly shocking.). The acting throughout is first-rate, making this “Hamlet” an occasion to celebrate this company and its role in Boston’s cultural landscape.

Banner Night at ‘Slanguage’ photos by Don West On July 21 Company One was proud to host an exclusive “meet and greet” with the performers of “Slanguage,” the latest boundary-smashing creation by Universes, a troupe of five multi-disciplined performers hailing from South Bronx. Banner Night audience members met with this talented cast after the performance. Fusing poetry, jazz riffs and hip- hop with politics, down home blues and Spanish boleros, the group creates a unique theatrical experience. This national phenomenon is here for a limited engagement. For more information on show times please visit www.companyone.org. The event celebrated the collaboration of three of Boston’s most valuable cultural resources: the Boston Center for the Arts, the Boston Banner and Company One.
First row (l-r) Lauren Miller - Company One intern, Mildred Ruiz - performer, Ninja - performer, Denise De La Cruz - performer, Back row (l-r) Shawn LaCount - artistic director Company One, Summer Williams - director of Theatrical Training Company One, Steven Sapp - performer, Gamal Abdel Chasten - performer, Libbie Shufro - president and CEO of the BCA.
Steven Sapp chats with Summer Williams at the reception following the performance of Slanguage at the Boston Center for the Arts.	Mildred Ruiz (l) chats with audience members following the perfomance of Slanguage at the BCA.
Steven Sapp (r) makes a point with Libbie Shufro - president and CEO of the BCA and Claudia Swan -BCA board member.	Lauren Miller(r) and T. Lawrence-Simon, interns with Company One, enjoy a light moment after the perfomance of Slanguage.