From the Montreal Fringe. Triptych and Felix: Self-indulgent plots and lack of strong directing lead to two very bad shows
Triptych
Two performers have imagined a show that lays bare the relationship between art and artist, represented through the metaphor of a blossoming relationship between a young man, who represents the soul of a work of art, and the artist. The play attempts to portray, in three sequences, the stages of relationship with one’s art: first love, then artistic obsession, and then death by way of overindulgence.
Guido Luciani and Dash Barber employ ritualistic elements to, perhaps, signify some element of devotion or sanctity relating to art. There is a palpable homoerotic tension throughout, as Luciano sinks into obsession with his nymph. They lean into established, often cliché “art theatre” imagery; undressing on stage to stand behind warped panels that mask their bodies (though actually not quite). The performance attempts to be densely symbolic, deeply meaningful, and exploratory in nature. …