Have you ever been just on the edge of sleep, only to be jerked into consciousness by the gut-sinking sensation of free fall? That’s precisely how it feels watching K. Brian Neel’s original play OROBORO, whipping in and out of thought and time. If you’re searching for something more abstract than linear plots, Oroboro is the show for you.
Using only a chair and the lights to create his world, this one-man act introduces at least ten different characters and eight stories, although it is difficult to define the beginning or ending of either. We tumble through a first date, an old woman living in a tree house, the musings of Saint Jude and more. The “stories”, if they must be called that, are tangential to a circular plot progression that ends exactly where it began. The characters bleed into one another; it is truly captivating to watch Neel liquefy his form and mold into each new character. This seamless quality unifies his show, mirroring the concept of “endless-ness” in its execution.
The setting itself is small and inviting. It is an intimate theatre for an intimate performance. The audience and the performer move together, in fear and in joy, in anguish and in the elation of creativity. It feels as though the audience and performer are falling through a dream together. For a rivetingly abstract and unique performance, look no further than OROBORO.
Oroboro, by K. Brian Neel. 18th and Union, 1406 18th Ave, Seattle 98122. Capitol Hill. Street parking. Saturdays at 7:30 through Feb 11. Tickets: web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/967858. Info: 18thandunion.org/oroboro or (206)-937-6499