Stage Review - Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince (Noveltease)
Stage Review - Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince
Presented By: Noveltease Theatre (@ Theatre Off Jackson) - Seattle, WA
Show Run: March 26 - April 06, 2024
Date Reviewed: Thursday, April 04, 2024
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Burlesque. Its two primary definitions are “an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work, a parody” or “a variety show, typically including striptease”. Noveltease Theatre, a Seattle based group, specializes in what they call “Literary Burlesque”, where they combine adaptations of classic literary stories with contemporary striptease. The latest of their productions on stage at The Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle and closing on April 6, is a combined adaptation of multiple fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince. The story, adapted by company co-Artistic Director Fosse Jack and member Anya Knees, also choreographed by Fosse, is directed by Lyam White and tells the dual story of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and the familiar spell that was cast on her and the subjects of her kingdom, along with that of the Bear Prince, both of whom need each other to break their individual curses, the prince’s fate being to live each day as a bear and each night as a man. In the events that occur within the story, the prince is swept away by the Faerie Queen to a castle that is “east of the sun and west of the moon”, and Aurora makes it her mission to be reunited with her prince, so that their curses can be broken. To do this, she enlists the help of the East Wind and its siblings the South Wind, West Wind, and finally the North Wind, each with their own fable to tell along the way.
I will say this up front. I am in no way qualified to judge or critique the performing of this show. My experience with burlesque is extremely limited, but what I can do is provide a perspective of someone who attended a performance of Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince with an open mind and the willingness to expand my artistic scope and perhaps, at the same time, take a step or two outside of my comfort zone. I can speak to the construction of the story, the talent onstage, and the overall entertainment value, but I don’t have a great frame of reference against which to compare this production. With all that said, here goes!
The first thing that struck me in reading the program is the cast list, each actor’s name clearly a pseudonym, like Anya Knees and Al Lykya. Each is a bit of word play in the most creative sense, like a James Bond character’s name, but more so, or that of an exotic dancer. In fact, from my perspective, there is quite a bit of intersection between burlesque, as it’s done here, and exotic dancing, as each scene is built so that it works its way to a striptease, each actor with the chance to feature in part of the story. The performances are complete with the whooping, hooting, and hollering from the audience that usually comes along with such a performance in a club, though it should be noted there is no nudity in this show. It gets pretty darn close, though. These performances are a mix of interpretive and modern dance, with a hint of ballet, and the talent here is evident. Each actor plays multiple characters, even the leads. Aurora, played by Anya Knees, is also Ivan in one of fables told by the East Wind. Meanwhile Al Lykya is The Bear Prince, but he’s also the Gray Wolf in one of the stories. Al’s ballet influence is clear, his lines precise in his movements. Carson St. Clair, Onyx Asili, Ramona Rapsody, and Miss Elaine Yes are the wind siblings, East, South, West, and North respectively. They’re also each integral pieces to the fables told throughout, which is when they each have the opportunity to show their talent for movement and storytelling through dance. Playing more of a supporting role in Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince are Scarlett Folds and Willy Nilly, who act as the dragons pulling the Queen’s chariot and silver bells, but for my money are at their best as a jaguar and crab, respectively. Willy Nilly personifies that first definition of the genre, his crab is definitely an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of a crustacean, while Scarlett Folds is a sly and seductive jaguar. Rounding out the cast is the story’s disruptor, the reason for all of it, frankly, and that is the Faerie Queen, played by Sailor St. Claire, who also plays Aurora’s Fairy Godmother. Sailor’s performance, maybe more than everyone else’s here, requires she exhibit an emotional range. At times she’s angry and vengeful, but at others she’s hopeful and positive. Each of these actors do very well in their storytelling as well as their dance work, there’s a certain amount of flexibility and fitness on stage that is sometimes overlooked.
On the creative side, Sarah E. Miller’s set design is straightforward. The space feels like a black box, with minimal set pieces, many brought in by the actors as part of the fable telling as Aurora makes her way to the prince. Angelo Domitri is responsible for the lighting here, and his work really contributes to the impact of each performance and each story along the way. Fosse Jack, meanwhile, manages the sound, and here’s where my only real criticism comes in, and that is around the volume of the music accompanying the dance numbers. Again, I have no frame of reference to compare against in the burlesque world, but the volume of the accompaniment is so disparate from the volume of the actors’ voices on stage, it’s a difficult adjustment to go back and forth, and with the audience reactions during the musical segments to go along with that, it does at times feel like a club rather than a theatre. Where this show excels, though, creatively is in its costuming. Here, Ramona Rhapsody and Sailor St. Claire have designed around a balance of form and function. From a form perspective, there are big costumes like Ramona’s Firebird, or creative ones like Carson’s Killer Whale, but from a function perspective, let’s face it, they need to be able to be taken off easily and quickly to fit into each dance’s choreography.
Here’s the bottom line. Burlesque is not for everyone, that’s pretty clear, it may even be an acquired taste. However, a show like this illustrates what is so wonderful about this area. All around Seattle, on every street, in every square inch, there are artists creating work that is unique, challenging, and ground breaking. Making sure that the public has access to choose and take in every one of these art forms in every genre should be the goal that we all chase. A company like Noveltease is doing original and unique work, and it deserves to be seen. What Fosse Jack and Anya Knees have done here is take a story we are all familiar with and adapt it to an art form that isn’t as well known around these parts as it should be. Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince is the perfect example of this, and I’m happy that I took a step out of my comfort zone to see it, and I believe that we should all throw our preconceived notions to the side to try something new and give all art a chance rather than dismissing it outright.
Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince, presented by Noveltease Theatre, runs on stage at the Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle through April 6. For more information about Noveltease, this and future shows, and ticket availability/purchase, visit https://novelteasetheatre.org/. Note that this show has adult themes and situations and is not suitable for younger audiences, there is a minimum age requirement of 18 for all patrons.
